Harry Potter and the Sword of Destiny
by JamesLupinBlack
Summary: There are two swords, that must be used by two special individuals. Will Harry figure out his family secret before it is too late?
1. Chapter One

Harry Potter and the Sword of Destiny  
~*~  
  
Chapter One  
  
~*~  
  
Harry Potter wasn't a normal teenager; in fact he was near the opposite. Other than the obvious...well not so obvious. Harry potter was a wizard, and near thumpin' good un' in fact. Another abnormality was he didn't have any friends...well at least at the Durslys he didn't have any friends.  
  
Every summer Harry was forced to spend the time with his 'relatives' if that's what you want to call them. Before Harry was even two years old his parents had been murdered. Murdered for the simple reason of Harry being their child. They had been murdered by the most powerful evil wizard of the time. Lord Voldemort. He was the epitome of evil; most grown wizards won't even say the name.  
  
After Voldemort had killed Harry's parents, he turned to him, a one year old child. The child from the prophecy, the one child that could bring his evil reign to an end. He turned to Harry and attempted another murder. But in the moment when the curse hit little Harry's forehead, it rebounded, turning back on the wizard who cast it. Voldemort was destroyed by this simple baby...almost.  
  
Voldemort fled from the Potters home in a terrible state, weakened by the failed curse. The Dark Lord was reduced to a mere shadow of his former self. A simple spirit only capable of possessing others, for use of their body's.  
  
Four times he had attempted to come back and kill Harry, and four times he had failed. Failed in killing Harry that is, in his fourth year Voldemort had regained his body, but Harry had still managed to slip through his spider-like fingers.  
  
At the end of Harry's fifth year, he had learned of a prophecy that could bring down Voldemort. Harry lived or Voldemort lived, they were both powerful and they couldn't co-exist. Harry had been doing some digging over the past two years, and maybe some of the things he found could really bring Voldemort down, maybe.  
  
During the summer Harry was miserable with his Aunt and Uncle, doing chores and being treated like dirt. Constantly beaten up by his pig like cousin. He was sick of it, he hated the Durslys for everything they were worth.  
  
The past two summers had been different though. At the end of his fifth year some of Harry's friends had a little heart to heart talk about Harry's summer life. The past two years Harry had been living fairly well during the summer. In fact he had had so much free time that he worked out regularly at the gym near Privet drive.  
  
Harry's emerald green eyes shot open at 11:55 just as they did every year at his birthday. Today wasn't like his other birthdays; no this was his seventeenth birthday. This birthday was much much more special than all the others. In approximately four minutes Harry would be considered an adult in his world, able to perform magic at will. No more crummy letters from the improper use of magic office, he had had enough of them to last a life time. Wait till the Durslys get a load of that!  
  
"5-4-3-2-1" Harry slowly counted to himself.  
  
Harry was now able to do magic, and he decided he needed to start now. The first bit of adult magic Harry preformed was he transfigured his pillow into a birthday cake. As he ate his birthday cake he hummed himself a birthday song.  
  
Then as if on cue four large Owls landed on his window sill. Harry's birthday cards and presents had arrived as they had every year. Harry decided to open the first owl.  
  
Dear Harry,  
  
Happy birthday mate, now you can finally get those relatives back. I really hope you like your present. I wish that you could come over this summer but were going to Romania to celebrate; my dad was promoted to Minister of Magic. It turned out that Fudge had been holding dad back because of his love of muggles, but when Fudge was murdered dad finally got the promotion he deserved. Can't wait to see you on September First.  
  
Ron  
  
Harry was surprised by the fact that Mr. Weasley was promoted, but not by the fact that Fudge was dead. Harry had heard about that weeks ago in the Daily prophet. Harry was very happy that the Weasley family could finally get the money they deserved.  
  
Ron's gift turned out to be a pair of the latest, Seeker Sneakers. Ultra aerodynamic for fast flying, defiantly proof of his father's promotion. The next owl was his godfather.  
  
Dear Harry,  
  
How are you? Happy birthday! Finally seventeen, an adult. I'm sure Ron told you about Mr. Weasley, or should I say Minister Weasley. Now we have someone on our side in a high position in the ministry. Has your scar been bothering you lately? If it has you know what to do. I have quite a large surprise for you, I want you to live with me next summer. As long as you don't mind my...Illness. Well Owl me back with the answer.  
  
Your godfather  
  
This letter excited Harry very much, but not as much as it would once had. Harry true godfather had died at the end of his fifth year. So after that Harry had chosen another of his fathers good friends as his godfather. Remus Lupin. Uncle Remus' illness was his monthly transformations. He couldn't wait to talk to him again, but he didn't know when that would be. He opened his next letter, this was just his normal Hogwarts letter. Nothing different from the other seven he had gotten in the past. Or was there.  
  
Dear Mr. Potter  
  
Your Seventh and final year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, will begin on September First. The train will leave at approximately 11:00am on that morning. We await you arrival.  
  
Enclosed is your Head Boy badge, Please wear this at all times. There will be a meeting after the Feast in the Headmasters office for you and the Head Girl Hermione Granger. Congratulations.  
  
Deputy Headmistress Minerva McGonagall.  
  
Sure enough a shiny badge was sitting on the top of the letter. The H B letters seemed to shine at him mockingly. Why was he head boy? He broke more rules than anyone else in the school. The fact that Hermione had made Head Girl didn't surprise him in the slightest though. Harry was happy about being Head Boy none the less.  
  
Harry was also very happy that he and Hermione could do something together. Over the summer of his sixth year Harry had come to realize that something very wonderful and perfect was sitting right under his nose. Hermione. At first he tried to ignore the strange feelings, she was his best friend. He was scared that it would ruin the trio's friendship. So he never acted on these feelings, but instead of going away they just got stronger and stronger. Now every time he heard or thought about Hermione he missed her terribly. Harry decided to open his last owl.  
  
Dear Harry,  
  
Happy birthday! How are the muggles treating you? From what you said last year they seemed to have lightened up. I hope that you are having a very good birthday so far. I'm SO excited about being Head Girl; it's been my dream since I started. I can't believe that you got Head Boy, that's so great! I wonder what that meeting with Dumbledore is going to be? And Minister Weasley that's so great Ron can finally have everything that he deserved. Too bad about him going to Romania though. I was wondering, since we can't go to the Burrow why don't you come to my house for the remainder of the summer? Then we could meet with Ron at Diagon Alley. Ask your aunt and uncle, if they say yes then I will pick you up at 5:30 on Friday. If they say no, I will still pick you up at 5:30 on Friday. See you then.  
  
P.S. I'll give you your birthday present at my house.  
  
Love from Hermione.  
  
All the other letters were very exciting to Harry, but this one was the best! Harry had to control himself from hooting with joy. He didn't think that asking his Aunt and Uncle would be too much of a problem. Harry got up and started to walk over to his trunk, he passed his mirror on the way over the reflection he saw was very different. He was tall maybe close to 6'. His hair had finally changed from its normally messy fashion. Over the summer he had decided to get it cut short, and spike it up. He now had a very muscular body, all the trips to the gym really helped. He looked up at his eyes, still emerald green like they always had been.  
  
After Harry's fifth year he had decided that if he didn't lighten up that no one would want to be around him, and right now he needed his friends more than ever. So what Harry decided to do was to try to forget the past and concentrate on the future, it was difficult but he managed to do it. He rarely thought of what happened at the end of his fourth or fifth years, they brought back so much pain.  
  
Harry was overall very happy with his birthday presents, but he couldn't help but be very excited with the idea of going to Hermione's. He decided he needed to rest up so he plopped down on his bed and fell asleep with his glasses on. 


	2. Chapter Two

~*~  
Chapter Two  
~*~  
  
Harry was awakened by the usual screaming aunt petunia. But, unlike other mornings, Harry didn't mind a thing the Durslys could throw at him. In fact Harry couldn't wait to get up and do the Durslys bidding.  
  
"Coming Aunt Petunia." Harry shouted back.  
  
Harry rushed down to the kitchen and started to make breakfast as he had ever morning of ever summer for the past 7 years. Little did the Durslys know that today was going to be very different.  
  
Instead of pulling out the eggs to make the usual omelets, he pulled something out of his back pocket, something long and thin. Harry had been waiting for this day since he had started school at Hogwarts.  
  
"Good morning Uncle Vernon." Harry said very sweetly.  
  
"What's got you so happy this morning boy?" Uncle Vernon replied squinting his beefy face.  
  
"Nothing in particular." Harry said with a large smirk on his face.  
  
"Whatever, make us breakfast, and make it quick." His Uncle snapped.  
  
Then Harry said something to his uncle that he had never said before.  
  
"No."  
  
"What did you say?" Uncle Vernon asked with venom in his words.  
  
"I said no. I am sick of you bossing me around like I'm dirt. I don't have to take this anymore. In case you haven't noticed, I'm 17 now and in my world of Wizards and witches I can use magic anytime I want!" Harry said raising his wand to point right at uncle Vernon.  
  
"Butt youuu caan'tt usssee maaaaggic heerrre I'll kick you outtt." Uncle Vernon stuttered.  
  
"Oh Yeah?" Harry challenged.  
  
"Tarantallegra!" Harry shouted. Immediately his uncle jumped out of his chair and started to dance on the linoleum floor, making many scuff marks in the process. His aunt wouldn't be happy, but Harry didn't care about that anymore. Harry wanted so badly to cause the Durlsys as much pain as he possible could. But he knew that he couldn't do anything really bad to them, he wouldn't give in to the anger. Yes they had caused him much pain over the years, but Harry wasn't about to do any real harm. He would not give in to the hate!  
  
Harry quickly took the jinx off of him and turned to face an extremely angry aunt, and a terrified cousin. He didn't care, with a swish of his wand, he gave Dudley another tail and a pair of ears to go with it. Dudley started to run around in circles and scream. The screaming quickly got on his nerves so he took it off.  
  
The Durlsys just stared at him, Harry decided that this was his exit time. He transfigured some wax fruit on the table into real fruit, and dashed to his room.  
  
Harry stayed in his room for the rest of the days until Hermione came. Friday came very slowly for Harry, but when it finally did, he was ecstatic. He woke up Friday morning and started to pack his trunk. By noon he was done packing and ready to go. He levitated his trunk downstairs to the absolute disgust of the Durslys.  
  
"Where do you think your going?" His uncle spat out.  
  
"A friend is picking me up and I will be spending the remainder of the summer there. Ok?" Harry said nonchalantly.  
  
"Sure" his uncle muttered and walked away.  
  
Harry spent the rest of the afternoon sitting on his trunk in the hall way reading a school book. Knowing Hermione she would probably arrive about 10 minutes early, and the suited Harry just fine. He couldn't wait to see her again; heck he couldn't stop thinking about her. At around 5 o'clock Harry decided that he needed to do something about his hair. So he rushed upstairs quickly spiked his hair with some gel. He was staring in the mirror when he realized that he didn't need his glasses anymore.  
  
He pulled them off and muttered a spell with his wand pointing at his eyes. Instantly he could see crystal clear. He looked different without his glasses but he decided that it was for the better. As he stared into the mirror he realized that with his hair spiked up, his scar was very visible. He didn't like that. Once again he used his wand and disillusioned his scar. It just looked like normal skin, but Harry could still feel it under there. And if it ever hurt, the spell would come right off, Harry had been working on this for a very long time.  
  
Harry was now acceptable for his company. He dashed back down stairs just in time to hear a knock at the door. Almost tripping over his own feet he grabbed at the door.  
  
When he opened it he saw something that he thought must be an angel. Hermione was standing there with a red tank top on and faded jean shorts. Her hair was cut shoulder length, and had blond high lights in it. He just stood there gaping at the sight before him.  
  
"Um, I'm here to pick up Harry Potter? Does he live here?" Hermione timidly asked.  
  
She didn't even recognize him.  
  
"Hermione?" Harry managed to whisper once he had his voice back.  
  
"Harry." She said, and then squinted at his eyes. "yes It is YOU!!"  
  
After he last sentence she launched herself at him and very nearly knocked him over. He just stood there hugging his best friend, taking in the sweet strawberry scent of her hair. They slowly broke apart and looked each other in the eyes. They both realized what kind of position they were in and quickly broke apart.  
  
"You look great." They both said at the same time.  
  
"Well lets get out of here, I'm sure you don't want to meet the Durslys." Harry said. Hermione nodded fervently.  
  
Harry turned to his trunk and with a flick of his wand he shrunk it to candy size. He quickly grabbed it and put it in his pocket. They were ready, Harry quickly yelled a goodbye to the Durslys.  
  
"Bye, I won't ever be coming back here!" Harry yelled and walked out the door with the prettiest girl in all the world right next to him.  
  
They hopped into Hermione Mustang and Harry left the Durslys house for good. The drive home had been great they talked about there summer, Harry constantly bugged Hermione by doing simple spells. She hadn't turned 17 yet, her birthday was September 19, and so she wouldn't be aloud to use magic out of school until next summer. And it bugged her to no end that Harry could use magic whenever he wanted to.  
  
All through the trip Harry kept sneaking glances at Hermione. She was gorgeous Harry couldn't seem to get enough of her; Harry had long given up trying to hide the fact that he was falling for her. Why try to lie to himself? He didn't believe it anyways. The problem was that he couldn't tell if she had any feelings for him, it was a mystery that would need to be resolved.  
  
Ron was another key issue, how would he handle it if Hermione and he became more than just friends? Would he be mad or jealous? Harry really hoped not, Ron was like a brother to him and Harry didn't know what he would do without him.  
  
Where would he be if he hadn't meet Ron and Hermione in his first year? What would have happened if he had taken Draco Malfoy's advice? Those questions were irrelevant. Harry was Harry because of his choices. Dumbledore had said it himself. Choices, they separated us from the animals.  
  
They crunched up Hermione's gravel driveway and parked the car. It was already late, the drive had take around two hours so when they got there it was dark and Harry couldn't see what the house really looked like. They walked up to the front door and stepped inside. The house was beautiful; Harry could see a spiral staircase, with mahogany railings. Straight ahead of him he saw the dining room with steaming plates of Italian food waiting for them. What he concentrated on right now was Hermione's parents; he really wanted to impress them.  
  
"Hello Mrs. Granger, I'm Harry Potter." Harry said extending his hand.  
  
"Hello Harry, we've heard so much about you." She said enthusiastically.  
  
Harry could tell right away that he wanted to stay on her good side, she seemed like she would enforce the rules very strictly. Hermione got most of her looks from her mother, Harry could tell everything except her eyes. Her mother had blue eyes. But everything else was a spitting image of Hermione.  
  
"Mr. Granger is at a dentist conference and he won't be home until next weekend. I will be joining him tomorrow, but I wanted to greet my guest." Mrs. Granger informed Harry and Hermione at the dinner table.  
  
The rest of the meal was eaten in silence; Harry was enjoying the meal very much. After dinner Hermione led Harry to his room upstairs.  
  
"This is your room, there is your bathroom, and the other door in the bathroom leads to my room." Hermione said matter-of-factly.  
  
"Thanks 'Mione" Harry said, still in awe of his room.  
  
His room had gold walls with a red border. The ceiling was enchanted to always look like the night sky. Every once and a while a quidditch player would zoom in and out of the red border.  
  
"We can talk more in the morning, but right now I'm tired. Goodnight Harry." Hermione said.  
  
After Hermione had left the room Harry didn't waste anytime in getting into bed. He fell asleep instantly. 


	3. Chap Three

Chapter Three  
  
Over the past three years Harry had purposely pushed all thoughts of the tri-wizard tournament out of his mind. He knew that if he dwelled on them too long then they would haunt him forever. Not only had Harry pushed all thoughts of this from his mind, he tried to act calm and collected at the moments he wanted to lash out most. He was finally controlling his emotions, which at this stage of his life tended to change constantly.  
  
He tried to act happy and live his life the most he could even though he knew what awaited him. Thankfully it was still his choice what happened in the end. Whichever way he chose it was his decision in the end, and no one could change that. Harry was positive what he was going to do, the question was could he accomplish this seemingly impossible goal.  
  
He had yelled at his best friends and probably his biggest supporters. He was almost always angry, or sad. He was not willing to do that again. Harry had finally come to the realization that if he was going to end the pain and suffering of the many, he needed to end it within him first. There was no way he was going to be able to defeat the Dark Lord if he constantly was depressed and angry. So over the summer of his sixth year he concentrated and grabbed control over his slippery emotions.  
  
His next goal was to never let Voldemorte enter his mind again, no one would get hurt because of him. So he had bought a book on occlumency and started his training from square one again. He resisted the charm every time during his renewed lessons with Professor Snape. He wouldn't give Snape the pleasure of seeing his memories of his godfather, because Harry knew that's what he would see if he entered his mind again. Never again would someone get hurt because he couldn't control himself. If there was a way to prevent it then he would do it, no matter what the cost.  
  
Most of all he needed to forget these things because of his excruciatingly real like dreams. The first summer after the Tri-wizard tournament, he had terrible dreams Voldemort returning time after time again. Cedric dieing over and over in his mind, a hidden voice telling him it was his entire fault. Reliving these things was getting him no where. So he took extreme precautions with potions for dreamless sleep (he had bought it in Diagon Alley). He never forgot to take this potion, except once... the first night at Hermione's house...  
  
"Hello?" Harry called to a seemingly endless flat plain.  
  
No answer, just as he suspected. He was dreaming he knew it now for sure. The question was where was Voldemort? He had forgotten to take his potion and he was sure that Voldemort wouldn't pass up this opportunity to torture him. He mentally kicked himself for forgetting the potion; if he hadn't been so enveloped in his feelings for Hermione then he might have remembered. Once again his emotions were going to cause him pain. There was nothing he could do now except ride out the dream.  
  
The scene changed he was in a Desert the stillness of it was unnerving. Cactuses grew all around, and jack rabbits hopped away from Harry. Harry noticed the many lizards and snakes that slithered or skittered fearlessly by. It seemed as if he really was here, he could feel the water evaporating right out of his pores. It felt as if he was being sucked dry. He was going to need some water to live if he stayed much longer. The rational side of his brain bickered with the other. This was a dream, how could I be feeling this? But what if it is more than a dream, something dangerously real. Harry pinched himself for good measure, it hurt and left a red welt on his arm.  
  
"Strange." Harry muttered.  
  
Harry was wondering when Voldemort would appear, when He finally showed himself.  
  
"Hello, Harry." Voldemort said in his snake like tongue.  
  
"So you finally decided to show up huh?" Harry said, knowing that there wasn't much the Dark Lord could do.  
  
"So why aren't we in the graveyard?" Harry questioned.  
  
"I have a proposal to make." Voldemort said.  
  
"I never knew you thought of me that way, Voldy Dear. But I'm just not ready for this kind of relationship." Harry said with sarcasm dripping on his voice.  
  
"Don't make fun Potter! That little remark will cost you dearly later." Voldemort spat out.  
  
"I want to offer you something. I want to offer you companionship. I am willing to put our...past differences beside. If you are willing to join my legion of death eaters. I can make you powerful, armies will bow down to you command." Voldemort said.  
  
"Why would I want that I have all I want?" Harry said, a bit taken back.  
  
"Let me finish Potter. As this Desert, it can be deadly in two opposite ways. If you join me then all your friends will be against you,"  
  
as he said this the suns intensity seemed to double in power, now Harry was absolutely drenched in his own sweat.  
  
"You will never be lost again, you will always have me by your side. I can teach you things that Dumbledore can only dream of. But on the other hand."  
  
He waved his hand in the air. And the scene changed, now it was night time in the desert. The first and most appalling difference was the temperature, it was now freezing cold. Harry's teeth started to chatter as he watched animals cuddle together for more body heat. Owls hooted in the distance, surveying the scene from there far away perch. Night time predators were hunting there unsuspecting prey, scorpions glowed ominously. Coyotes howled at the full moon, Harry wondered if there were any werewolves nearby.  
  
"If you choose to fight on the 'good' side then, yes you would have your friends."  
  
As he said this he appreciated the cold environment, because it was better than the hot.  
  
"But, you will have me as an enemy. Never knowing what to do or to expect. Do you really want to be lost all the time with no one to guide you? Lost in you own thoughts maybe? I can help you Harry. They can't, its as simple as that."  
  
At this the cold seemed so cold it was oppressing him, freezing him to the bone.  
  
"Which would you rather have? Would you rather have me and all the power you could imagine, or you sissy little friends, and me as an enemy? Make your decision soon, I won't give you forever. I am giving this chance to you once and only once. Choose wisely."  
  
Then he was gone.  
  
Harry thought over what had happened, the desert, it seemed like he used it to further prove his point. In the desert there were no in-betweens, no shades of grey. It was either black, or white. It was cold or hot, but each time had its ups and downs.  
  
The day time, in this sick analogy it represented the evil. He would have power, and Voldemort as a friend and leader. He would never wonder what was right or wrong, he would never be lost. He would always be able to see what was ahead of him. The dark on the other hand, represented the good. It was cold, very cold. But not as dangerous as the day time, where you could die of thirst or starvation. He would have his friends but he would have Voldemort as an enemy. The most dangerous animals come out at night, hidden where no one can see them. Lurking around every corner. He couldn't see what was his future was, he would never know when he would strike again.  
  
Voldemort had made his side seem more enticing and enjoyable, but Harry saw it for what it was. Fear. Voldemort was afraid to have him on the opposite side, afraid to face a 17 year old boy. Harry knew which side to choose, he never had a doubt, but he decided to let the Dark Lord simmer in his own mess.  
  
Harry was deciding that it was time to leave, but he didn't know how.  
  
"Well?" a sinister voice said that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere.  
  
"I'll never join you Voldemort!" Harry said his emotions getting the better of him.  
  
"Fine, your choice has been made." The voice called.  
  
Then a flash of green light was rushing at him with blinding speed. Harry didn't have time to do anything. The light he knew as the killing curse hit him and threw him ten feet backwards. Immense pain was searing through his scar. It felt as if it was on fire and someone was rubbing gasoline on it to make it worse. The last thing he could do was clutch his forehead, screaming in agony.  
  
Hermione sat bolt upright in her bed, a terrible scream issuing from the room next to hers. She dashed from her bed and ran into Harry's room. Harry was sprawled on the floor, his left hand clutching his forehead.  
  
He was out cold.  
  
Hermione knew what to do. Professor Dumbledore had sent her an emergency Portkey just incase this happened during Harry's visit. Of course she had asked him before she had asked Harry. He had said that it would be alright, but he sent the portkey for emergencies like this one. She grabbed Harry around the neck and simultaneously clutched the portkey. Feeling the familiar tug behind her navel she and Harry were sent through the swirling mass of light. 


	4. Chapter Four

Chapter four.  
  
Hermione and Harry arrived at St. Mungo's at around two in the morning. Since it was so late, there weren't many people there. A couple of witches and Wizards nursing various wounds.  
  
One Wizard in particular was nursing a hand that didn't look like it had any fingers left on it. The fingers in question were in a jar on his lap, still squirming and moving. There weren't many others that bad, nothing more than an extra ear or eye.  
  
The waiting room was long and it looked like it would be difficult to carry Harry's limp body all the way to the front desk. Hermione finally decided that it was stupid not to use magic, this was an emergency. Hermione conjured a stretcher and put Harry's body onto it. They continued to walk down the hall passing various portraits of current Healers and ones from years ago. The walls of the room were so white that the light reflected off of them started to hurt Hermione's eyes.  
  
Hermione looked down at Harry's body, taking this opportunity to study every curve and crease of his face. She knew that she wouldn't have another chance to study him like this, without it looking funny. Harry would never like her the same way she liked him, there was no way. Harry could have any girl he wanted, he would never choose a bossy, bookworm. Never. She would just have to be content as having him for a friend.  
  
She and Harry finally reached the desk with the witch behind it.  
  
"Um, my friend passed out, in the middle of the night. Where should I take him?" Hermione asked timidly, very unlike her.  
  
"Does the passing out have anything to do with a spell?" The witch asked in a bored monotone voice.  
  
"Yes I think it does." Hermione said, a little more confidently. At that moment she was very glad that Harry had disillusioned his scar. There would be uproar if they knew that Harry Potter came in unconscious.  
  
"Fourth floor Spell damage." She said irritably. Pointing to a lift behind the desk.  
  
Hermione hurried to the lift and hoped inside. She mashed the fourth floor button and the lift creaked closed, and started to climb. The lift finally reached the fourth floor, Hermione could swear that it took forever to get up here. She rolled the stretcher out of the lift and into another large circular room, with doors all around it. There was a circle desk in the middle with a motherly looking witch sitting behind it. Finally someone who wouldn't just pass them by. She rolled Harry up to the desk, ringing the bell to get the witches attention.  
  
"Excuse me but I need someone to have a look at my friend." Hermione said with urgency.  
  
The motherly witch leaned over the desk to have a closer look at Harry.  
  
"Hmm, yes he will need a Healer. I can call in one for an emergency, is this an emergency?" She asked in a Scottish accent.  
  
"Yes, this is most defiantly an emergency. Can I use a fireplace I need to make a call."  
  
"Yes of course dear."  
  
Hermione rushed over to the fireplace in the wall. She kneeled down, grabbed some floo powder. She threw it into the fire watching it turn emerald green. Just like Harry's eyes, gosh she was worried about him.  
  
"Albus Dumbledore." Hermione said with confidence. She now had a view of the headmasters office. As if by magic Professor Dumbledore walked into his office.  
  
"Professor." Hermione said a little breathless.  
  
"Harrysgottenhurtsomehowinhissleepandi'matstmungos." Hermione said all at once.  
  
"Slow down Hermione. I will be there once I know what is wrong." He said with perfect calmness.  
  
"Harry passed out at my house, and I don't know why. I think it has something to do with his scar. Were at St. Mungos right now." Hermione said trying to calm herself. She failed.  
  
"Thank you for informing me Ms. Granger. I will be there soon."  
  
"Thank you Professor."  
  
Hermione decided that he wasn't the only one who should know about Harry's illness. She quickly looked out the window, Quarter moon. She could contact Harry's godfather, Remus Lupin.  
  
She threw another pinch of Floo powder into the roaring fire.  
  
"Remus Lupin." Hermione pronounced clearly, and stuck her head into the jade green flames.  
  
"Uncle Lupin!" Hermione called through the empty living room. She waited a couple of minutes before Remus came into sight.  
  
"Hermione," He yawned deeply. "What's wrong?" he asked after he realized what time it was.  
  
"Harry's passed out at St. Mungos. Something happened at my house, he woke up screaming and then he passed out." Hermione said starting to lose her adrenaline. She couldn't stand to see Harry in so much pain. She could feel the tears ticking the back of her eyelids like the tips of a birds wing.  
  
"Oh my god, I'll be right there. Give me a minute to get dressed." He said in a hurry.  
  
Hermione withdrew her head from the now hot fireplace. She was full out crying now, she couldn't hold back any longer. She had always worried about Harry and Ron, but Harry was the one who would put himself in danger willingly. Harry never stood by and let someone get hurt if he could help it. That's why she worried about him. If something happened to Harry she wouldn't know what she would do with herself.  
  
Hermione turned around and walked back to Harry. The nurse pointed to a room where he could wait for the Healer to arrive. She wheeled him over to the room and opened the door.  
  
It was a small room with one chair and a bed. And the excruciatingly white walls, thank god the lights were dim. She levitated Harry's body onto the more comfortable bed. The stretcher made a soft pop and disappeared. Hermione sunk down into the chair, the missed nights rest getting to her. She wouldn't let herself fall asleep, she was the only one who knows what happened. The headmaster and Uncle Lupin would be here soon. Hermione decided that if she was going to stay awake she better do something.  
  
"Harry, I know that you can't hear me, but..." but what? What was she going to say that wouldn't sound stupid. "but I know that you can push through this, ok? Don't give up, there are people out here who need you to come around, to come back to us. I need you to come back."  
  
She was crying again, just thinking about the possibility that he might not come back was too much to bear. Hermione reached out and grabbed his right hand and started to stroke it slowly. All the while murmuring things to his inanimate features.  
  
"I Love you Harry Potter and you better not leave me here by myself." Quickly her sadness and depression turned to hot boiling anger.  
  
Voldemort did this, he did all this. He killed Harry's parents, and his godfather. He made Harry's life miserable time and time again. He was to blame for everyone living in fear of there lives. Fear that they will come home to the Dark Mark floating above their house. Fear, Voldemort created Fear. It was his biggest ally, it was his biggest weapon.  
  
The cleverest witch in Hogwarts missed two very important things happening. A light started to issue from her body illuminating the whole room. For a full minute the light grew, while the thoughts of anger and hatred flashed through her mind. The second thing she failed to notice was the two people standing in the doorway.  
  
Hermione finally looked up and saw the two people that she most wanted to see at that moment. Other than Harry of course.  
  
Professor Dumbledore and Remus Lupin had arrived. Now she knew they were there, but she didn't know how long they had been there. Hermione ran and hugged Uncle Lupin and Professor Dumbledore in turn.  
  
She quickly told them her side of the story, which wasn't much. About fifteen minutes later the Healer arrived and did a quick check over Harry.  
  
"I don't see anything seriously wrong with him other than the burn on his left hand." The healer informed them. After he said this all three people present leaned over to look at Harry's left hand. Sure enough in the middle of his left palm there was a black burn. Nothing out of the ordinary, other than the fact that it was shaped like a lightning bolt, exactly like his scar. His scar had grown so hot that when he grabbed it, it burned an imprint into his hand.  
  
"I think that he will be fine. He just needs some rest. I can have a nurse stay with him so you can go home." The healer said thickly. He had obviously been woken up to come here.  
  
"No! I will stay with him tonight." Hermione said almost on top of the Healers sentence. "I want to be here when he wakes up." She said softly.  
  
Everyone agreed and the Healer left Harry's room. Hermione bid the teachers good night, and they also left her alone with Harry once again. She sat down and started to doze just as the suns first rays poked above the horizon.  
  
- - -  
  
Harry's eyes fluttered open very very slowly. He first saw the bright white walls and ceiling.  
  
'I can't be in the hospital wing already can I?' Harry thought  
  
Harry felt a slight weight on his stomach and realized that Hermione was laying her head on his mid-section. I must have scared her last night. Then it his him, last night, the dream. His mind started to race as every minute detail came back rushing into his head. At least his scar didn't hurt anymore. But to his surprise his hand was throbbing.  
  
He picked his left hand up and examined it; right in the center of his palm was a black lightning bolt burn.  
  
His mind flashed again, he remembered grabbing his scar right before he passed out. His scar must have been burning very badly to have seared itself into his palm.  
  
Harry felt much better now, he wanted to get up. But he didn't want to wake Hermione. She was sleeping so peacefully. Harry watched her sleep for some time. Thinking how beautiful she was when she was sleeping, he corrected his own thinking – she was beautiful anytime. Harry noticed that her cheeks were streaked from tears. He wished he could hold her and comfort her, but he knew that that was almost impossible.  
  
He couldn't do that to her. He couldn't put her in harms way, if Harry and her became more than friends that would basically be putting the cross-hair on her. If Harry ever had a girlfriend then Voldemort would surely use her as bait. He wouldn't put anyone in danger, especially Hermione.  
  
Hermione stirred.  
  
She raised her head and he looked into Hermione's eyes. The deep brown pools seemed to suck him in and keep him there.  
  
"Good morning." Harry said rather croakily.  
  
"How do you feel? Does your scar hurt? What about your hand? What happened last night?" Hermione fired question after question at him. Her mouth was going a mile a minute.  
  
"Slow down 'Mione." Harry said using the nick name he knew she loved. "I only want to have to tell the story once. So where's Dumbledore?"  
  
"I can call him using the two way mirror, do want me to?" She asked  
  
"Yes." Harry said.  
  
It wasn't long until his godfather and his Headmaster were standing in the room once more. Harry reluctantly retold every detail of his dream from the previous night. Hermione started to cry as he told the part about the curse. Involuntarily he grabbed her hand and gave it a brief squeeze. That seemed to calm her down.  
  
After Harry had retold the story he felt as if he had a great weight lifted off his chest. They all decided that they should go on as if this didn't happen, better for no one to know. So after some paper work was filled out, they portkeyed back to the Grangers Estate.  
  
When they arrived they found something that they weren't ready to see.  
  
The Dark Mark was floating above the rubble that once was the Grangers Estate. Harry sunk to his knees, for they didn't seem to support him anymore. He couldn't believe that Voldemort had done this. He knew it was true, no one but Death Eaters knew about the Dark Mark.  
  
Hermione had also dropped to her knees, and was crying freely. He reached out and grabbed her by the shoulders and hugged her tightly.  
  
Voldemort had destroyed Hermione's house and killed her mother, he had killed Harry's parents and his godfather. All the pain and suffering was his fault. It was ok that he attacked Harry again and again, it was his burden to bear. But now he had crossed the line, he had hurt someone he loved. It was time to finish this, for good.  
  
Harry could feel the pure hatred running through his veins. Little did he know that right next to him Hermione was feeling the same way.  
  
As if the sun went out everything got dark. But it wasn't because it was dark out; it was because the sun was dim in comparison to the light radiating off of Harry and Hermione. The light flashed through the yard, and onto the decimated house.  
  
Professor Dumbledore and Remus Lupin watched in awe as the pair of teenagers; no adults, bathed in a white light.  
  
"We have found them." Was all Dumbledore could say. 


	5. Chapter Five

Chapter Five  
  
Harry and Hermione didn't know how long they sat there, clinging to each other. The simple fact that they were together was a large amount of comfort for them. Remus and Dumbledore watched in silence for a long time, unsure of what to say to make it better. Then again there wasn't much to make better, Hermione's mother was dead. No one could change that.  
  
After some time Remus left to alert the other order members and the Aurors at the ministry. They needed a crew to cover up the site and arrange for the cover ups of the deaths.  
  
Harry gently rocked the sobbing Hermione in his arms, feeling every bit of her pain with her. Even though he had only met Mrs. Granger for a few hours it still seemed like a great loss to him. Maybe because it was a great loss for Hermione. Harry turned his head to face the Headmaster, looking at his weathered face he nodded.  
  
He watched as Dumbledore bent down and picked up a piece of rubbish from the street and turned it into a portkey. Harry gently picked up Hermione's now sleeping form and walked over to the Headmaster. He nodded again and grabbed one end of the candy wrapper.  
  
- - -  
  
They arrived at Remus Lupins flat at around noon time. Harry walked into his godfather's house and walked down the hall to the guest room. Harry gently laid Hermione down onto the bed and left the room. Outside the room Dumbledore was waiting for him with Remus.  
  
"Harry, Remus and I have decided that you and Hermione are going to spend the remainder of the summer here. I don't think that will be much of a problem for you."  
  
"Of course not Headmaster." Harry replied tonelessly.  
  
Harry wasn't sure how he was going to comfort Hermione in her time of need. So many times had she been there for him when he needed her. She had always been there in the Hospital wing when he woke up. She was always the one to push him on when he was going to give up. She even had backed him up when he thought Sirius was in trouble. She was the reason Sirius hadn't been killed in the first place, without her Sirius would have gotten the kiss. Now she needed him, but Harry didn't know what to do. He himself had never had a mother he didn't know what it was like to lose one, just not having one. He would do the best he could though.  
  
"Harry do you understand what I just told you?" at hearing this Harry snapped out of his little world of thought.  
  
"'No sorry I missed it." Harry said lamely.  
  
"Remus is going to be gone most of the time on Order business, so we are going to leave you in charge of Hermione. Take care of her; she needs a friend now more than ever. But don't forget to take care of yourself also. 'You need to put on your own oxygen mask first.'" He said and with that they disappeared with a pop.  
  
Harry could hear noises from inside the room. Hermione must have woken up. Harry walked into the room and sat on the edge of the bed. Hermione was lying there facing the ceiling not blinking. He could tell that she was thinking very deeply.  
  
"Hermione?" Harry said softly.  
  
"What!" she snapped  
  
"Hermione, Remus and Dumbledore left us alone and said that were gonna stay here for the rest of the summer. I understand your upset, but don't push me away, I just want to help." Harry said a bit taken back.  
  
"How can you help, you never knew your mum before she got blown up! How can you possibly understand what it feels like?!?" Hermione yelled. She regretted the words as she said them. She wished she could rip them back out of the air and stuff them down her throat. The distant dead like look in Harry's eyes was killing her.  
  
"Oh. Ok then." Was all Harry could choke out.  
  
Harry immediately turned around and walked out the door. Leaving Hermione in a worse state then she was in before.  
  
- - -  
  
For two days they walked around the house doing a little bit of cleaning and cooking when necessary. But they never spoke. Hermione shuffled and sniffled while Harry walked around with a dead look in his eyes. They were killing each other acting like this.  
  
On the third day Harry couldn't take it anymore. He just couldn't watch Hermione be depressed any longer. But he himself was so hurt by what Hermione had said to him he was positive that she could care less what he said. So he let the matter lye.  
  
Hermione on the other hand, was so hurt about her mother that she barely noticed what she was doing all day. And the fact that she knew she hurt Harry like that didn't help her depression any more.  
  
Thank goodness that Remus came home early.  
  
As Remus walked in the door he immediately knew that there was something wrong. Harry was lying on the couch spread eagle. Hermione was shuffling around the kitchen still in the same clothing that he had left her in, more than a week before. Something was defiantly wrong.  
  
"Harry wake up now!" Remus yelled at his sleeping godson.  
  
Harry jerked up and reached for his wand that was on the coffee table. No matter how depressed he was he wasn't stupid. Remus looked into Harry's jade eyes and saw a dead miserable look. An empty look.  
  
Hermione shuffled out of the kitchen and started when she saw Remus standing in the open doorway.  
  
"'lo" Harry mumbled.  
  
"What the blazes is going on here?!?" Remus asked angrily.  
  
Remus watched a strange scene unfold in front of him.  
  
Hermione looked down at herself and seemed to wake up. She dashed over to Harry and yanked him down the hallway and into the spare bedroom. This seriously confused Remus but he decided that there was cleaning to be done and ignore that.  
  
"Hermione what are you doing?" Harry questioned her after she had shut the door.  
  
"Harry, your godfather put us in charge of his house and we trash it and act like the living dead. He's gonna think were on drugs or something. I know you probably hate me for what I said to you, but we need to put on a good show for him." Hermione finished the last quietly. "Hermione I could never hate you, you're my best friend...I love you, I could never hate you." Harry's eyes widened and Hermione's head shot up as he finished his sentence. Those last words, the words he swore he would never speak to her had somehow slipped out. Now she would probably never speak to him again.  
  
"You do?" Hermione asked timidly, very un-Hermione like.  
  
The cat was out of the bag now he might as well do it properly.  
  
"Yes Hermione, I have ever since fourth year. I just didn't know how to put it into words. When you smile I smile, when you're sad I'm sad. And when you get hurt, I want to die." Harry decided that he might as well finish the job, he couldn't leave out the last bit.  
  
"I would never ask you to be with me, no one would want there life posted in a magazine of newspaper. Besides you would be in constant danger, I just couldn't do that to you. You could pick anyone that would be better for you than me." He finished lamely. Not daring to look up from the grooves he had stared into the floor.  
  
Hermione just stood there her mouth opening and closing, like a dying fish.  
  
Harry decided that he absolutely killed his opportunity and started to walk out the door and handle his Godfather.  
  
"Harry James Potter where the hell do you think you are going!?!" Hermione said in a high pitched voice.  
  
Harry wheeled around and faced the emotionally erratic woman if front of him. Harry knew if she used his last name then he better just turn and face her otherwise there was going to be some serious pain later.  
  
"Do you think you can make that decision for me? Hmm? How fair does that seem to you? You never once asked me what I thought about it did you? Well I'll tell you how I feel."  
  
Here it comes, Harry thought, the big let down. He might as well leave now he knew what the answer was.  
  
But he was very wrong.  
  
Hermione Granger did the last thing in the world he expected her to do.  
  
She grabbed his ears in a painful grip and kissed him. Kissed him senseless.  
  
"I take that as a yes then?" Harry answered stupidly.  
  
"Yes." Hermione said simply. "I have been waiting for you to tell me that for four years."  
  
Harry just stared at her in amazement.  
  
"What will Ron think?" Harry asked.  
  
"I don't care, he will just have to get over it."  
  
They left the room hand in hand and faced Harry's furious Godfather. They told him what had went on in the past week and a half. Then they told them there recent development. He was happy for them, but put them straight to work anyway.  
  
The last few weeks of the summer were very good, Harry and Hermione enjoyed the time together. They planed to tell Ron on the train ride to Hogwarts.  
  
Harry was happier than he had ever been in his life. He finally had the one thing he thought he could never have.  
  
Hermione was in almost the same mood, other than the fact that her mother would never be there to see her and Harry finally together, she knew that she was watching from somewhere.  
  
Wherever that place she and Harry knew that both his parents and her mother were watching the happy couple with big smiles on there faces. 


	6. Chapter Six

Chapter six  
  
Platform 9 ¾ was packed with Hogwarts students bustling in and out of the scarlet engine. Harry and Hermione waved to there friends and were greeted by some they didn't know. Many and Many parents were seeing off or waving to there children.  
  
Neville Longbottom was running from his Grandmother to the train and back again, carrying assorted wizard trinkets. The pudgy pale boy had changed a lot over the past two summers. After the fiasco at the Department of Mysteries the boys self confidence had doubled. People recognized him from the Daily Prophet in the first year after the DoM debacle as it was called. For awhile Neville didn't know what to do with all the new attention. Eventually he got used to telling the story of the smashed prophecy to whosoever asked. This had changed the boy greatly, he had gotten taller and leaner and talked to more people. And a great spectacle for the female population at Hogwarts school.  
  
Harry and Hermione walked onto the train and into the compartment they had shared with Ron for seven years.  
  
Ron and Ginny walked into the compartment at about five to eleven. It was amazing, even thought his father was the minister of magic he would always be late.  
  
Harry said as much and Ron and Ginny just laughed hysterically. It was amazing that is such a time of danger and hopelessness the dream team could always find something to laugh about.  
  
"So how was the trip to Romania guys?" Harry asked good-naturedly.  
  
"It was bloody brilliant!" Ron said just like when he saw McGonagall transform for the first time in first year. Ron spent the next hour telling them about the amazing dragons.  
  
"So how was your summer? Whatdicha guys do without me around." Ron questioned as if there wasn't anything that you could do without him around.  
  
"Wwwwwweeeelll." Harry dragged out the word for dramatic effect. Harry was still unsure if he was going to like Ron's reaction to this bit of news.  
  
Harry told him about the dream and St. Mungos. Then he had the pleasure of reciting the trip home, and Hermione's house. He finally got to the part which he didn't really want to tell. "Well Hermione and I have decided that...umm..." How was he going to say this?  
  
"You and Hermione have finally realized your mutual feelings for each other and are going out now." Ron said grinning from ear to ear.  
  
Harry stared at his best friend in absolute shock.  
  
"Yeah..." was all Harry could manage.  
  
"That sucks." Ron said.  
  
Harry knew this was coming. But once again his assumption was absolutely wrong.  
  
"Now I'm gonna lose the bet."  
  
"WHAT?" Harry and Hermione yelled at the same time.  
  
"Well the sixth years have a little bet going. How long it would take you two to realize what was under your nose. I bet around Christmas, so now I'm gonna lose. Its pretty obvious to every one in Gryffendor, except for you two, that you felt that way. It was quite funny actually." Ron said with that stupid grin on his face.  
  
Harry and Hermione both looked at each other and nodded. Then they leapt at Ron and started to tickle him relentlessly. Ginny soon joined the fray and they spent the next twenty minutes oblivious to the world. And the danger that was awaiting them.  
  
There weren't many times in Harry's life that he felt absolutely at peace. Actually there weren't any. But now was one of them. Harry felt that everything was right in the world. That he Hermione, Ron, and Ginny could just go on forever like this. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew that he couldn't but that part of his brain wasn't working right now. Too bad for him it wasn't.  
  
Right in the midst of the tickling war there was a resounding CRASH. Glass shattered, owls hooted and screeched. And the train was yanked to a complete stop. Throwing people, trunks, cats, animals of all kinds into disarray.  
  
Then the screaming began.  
  
Harry knew what was happing and dashed out into the glass strewn hall.  
  
Harry pulled his wand out of his wand holster. He was going to need a new one soon this one was too small. He quickly looked around for the source of the problem. He didn't have to look long, because right then someone to appear in front of him. Appear wasn't the right word, it almost looked like someone was embroidering him into the air in front of Harry's face. As the face was slowly stitched into the proper place Harry knew who it was. Voldemort.  
  
"Hello Tom." Harry said trying to sound as much like Dumbledore as he could muster. He had to control his emotions.  
  
"Don't you call me that you filthy Half-blood." Voldemort spat.  
  
"Don't talk about yourself like that Tom, low self esteem isn't good." Harry said twirling his wand in his hand.  
  
Before Harry could even register that Voldemort moved, he was hit with the pain curse. Voldemort laughed while Harry writhed in pain on the floor. After the pain had passed Harry shakily stood up.  
  
"Bemos Lazerous." Harry said to his wand. Immediately a four foot golden beam of pulsating magic power was standing out from the tip of the wand. Almost like a sword.  
  
Voldemort looked at this in awe that was very advanced magic.  
  
Harry charged forward and with a quick duck and spin-slash, Voldemort's wand fell into two pieces. Wandless Voldemort backhanded Harry's wand-sword out of his hand. It flew behind him and sunk blade down into the metal floor about halfway.  
  
Then the fight ensued.  
  
Harry had been taking a martial arts course at Hogwarts since sixth year and was quite good. Voldemort had obviously taken the same course. They were evenly matched, neither of them landed a blow.  
  
Finally Harry managed to sweep Voldemort's legs out from under him, giving him enough time to use some wandless magic and retrieve his wand. It flew to his hand and he turned to the Dark Lord. But he wasn't there. He was standing ten feet away with a wand in his hand.  
  
Voldemort cackled his evil laugh.  
  
"Did you really think that this would be that easy Potter? Time for you to die like your parents."  
  
Then Harry saw the last thing he wanted to see at that moment.  
  
Hermione came dashing out of the cabin, wand raised.  
  
"You silly girl ,Avada Kedavera" Voldemort's high pitched voice screamed.  
  
The curse hit Hermione square on the forearm, but she stood strong. She stood there while the green light sunk into her arm. She grabbed her left arm then she passed out.  
  
Harry grabbed her body and basically threw it into the open cabin door.  
  
"You killed her, now I will kill you!" Harry said emotion choking his voice.  
  
Voldemort just laughed. "Avada Kedavera" He screamed.  
  
Harry did the only thing that he could think of; he brought up his hand to shield his face from the unavoidable curse.  
  
The curse hit his left palm directly in the center. Right on a strange lightning shaped burn. Harry felt the curse enter his palm, he looked down and saw the burn glowing gold. Harry would never know why he did what he did but he would never regret it.  
  
He pushed his palm out in front of him like a palm-strike to an invisible wall. All of a sudden a thick beam of golden light burst from his hand and flew straight at the Dark Lord. As the beam left his hand a strong wind began to blow in the small hallway, blowing straight at Harry, whipping his hair. Tiny flecks of gold flew past Harry and crossed his vision.  
  
A look of pure terror crossed Voldemorts face, the Potter boy had survived it again and now he looked like he had found a way to harness it.  
  
He fled. The Dark Lord apperated at the last second.  
  
Harry was furious he had escaped his grasp again, now Hermione was dead all because Harry was to slow. Harry had never been more angry in his life. Fury seemed to flow through his veins pulsating in his heart. He was angry because someone else would get hurt.  
  
Then it happened.  
  
The eerie golden light started to seep from his body. Slowly the light fell on the ruined train; it creeps up the walls and onto the ceiling. But wherever the light touched things were repaired. Pieces of glass flew back to their window pains and were magically glued there. Not soon after it started, it was over. Every thing was fixed, people were coming out of there newly fixed doors.  
  
As head Boy he told them to stay in there cabins and wait out the rest of the ride. Harry walked back into his cabin and saw Hermione motionless on the floor and Ron and Ginny trying to wake her up.  
  
"What happened Harry?" Ginny asked a little panicky.  
  
"She was hit by the killing curse." Harry said sinking to his knees in defeat. Lucky for him Ron didn't give up as easily as Harry did.  
  
Ron grabbed her arm and pulled away her hand. The first thing he noticed was that there was a glowing green scar on her left arm, in the shape of two cris-crossed lightning bolts. Then he looked at her hand. And sure enough there was a burn on her hand, the perfect imprint of the scar on her arm.  
  
She was alive. Harry knew that if she had the scars that she couldn't possibly be dead.  
  
After a few minutes of trying they finally managed to revive her. She immediately wanted to know what exactly happened after she ran out into the hall.  
  
"Yeah what did happen out there mate? I mean you were yelling and someone was screaming and laughing...it wasn't...was it?" Ron said getting wide eyes.  
  
"Yes Voldemort did stop the train, we dueled. But Hermione saved me." Harry said simply.  
  
Harry quickly retold the events of the battle. He didn't know how to explain the light and the beam attack, so he left them out.  
  
"You dueled Voldemort? And your fine? We have to tell Dumbledore. We can tell him at the Head student meeting." Hermione said, taking control of the situation.  
  
"Yeah but look," He picked up her arm and hand. "That's what happened to you, you were hit with the killing curse, yet you survived. And almost the same scar. And the burn. We can tell him that too." Harry said. And Hermione nodded.  
  
"You did the 'Bemos Lazarious spell? That's advanced stuff man." Ron said clearly impressed.  
  
They spent the remainder of the ride in uncomfortable silence.  
  
Hogsmead station pulled into view and it never looked more desolate. Very few people were walking around, and the ones that were carried there wands in clear view. Harry was sick of people having to live their lives in complete fear. Even he had to carry his wand in its holster constantly.  
  
He was sick of everything. And he knew that he could, and would change it. 


	7. Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven  
  
Hogwarts never looked so inviting, Harry felt at home once again. He finally felt that he was where he belonged. Sometimes peoples ignorance sickened him, people all around were laughing with there friends, not a care in the world. None of them realized that two of there number almost died on the train that afternoon.  
  
Dumbledore knew already, Harry was sure of that. He wasn't sure how but the Headmaster seemed to know things even though they hadn't happened yet. Very many times the headmaster had known about times when Harry needed him just in the nick of time.  
  
The great hall looked like it always did year after year. Hundreds of floating magic candles, and ghosts floating every which way.  
  
No sooner had they taken there seats, the first years tramped in from there yearly boat ride. Most looked like a mixture of scared, amazed, and impatient. The impatient ones must come from wizarding families, Harry thought. The others must have been just like Harry and Hermione.  
  
"As I call out your names, come and sit on the stool and put the sorting hat on your head." Professor McGonagall's voice rang through the hall clearly.  
  
"Anderson, Andy." a plump bull like boy waddled up to the hat and put it on his fat head. The hat thought for a minute and then called clearly.  
  
"SLYTHERIN"  
  
It wasn't until they got to the 'B's' which was a while later that Harry started to pay attention.  
  
"Black, James"  
  
Harry's head snapped up out of his stupor and looked around at his friends. They had they same stupid blank expression on there faces.  
  
A thin pale looking boy with straggly black hair walked up to the stool. If Harry didn't know better he would have said that the boy was getting some grey hair around the temples. Whoever this kid was, he didn't have an easy life, and his face was chiseled and worn. It seemed that more than just the trio had noticed the name. Harry hadn't heard this kind of silence in the Great Hall during a sorting ceremony since his own name was on the sheet. The whole Hall watched with bated breath on where this mystery boy would be placed.  
  
He slowly brought the hat down to his head, but it never got to touch his hair.  
  
"GRYFFENDOR"  
  
The Gryffendor table clapped the loudest out of the entire hall.  
  
The sorting ceremony ended and the Opening Feast began.  
  
The Feast was exceptional, even by Hogwarts standards. Even after what had happened on the train, sprits were high. Harry wasn't sure if he had to tell Dumbledore anything, but he was going to offer his two cents anyway. Harry was more interested in what the professor had to say to them, then sharing what he had to say. As soon as the feast started it was over.  
  
The food dissolved into the plates, Ron was the only one who seemed to look like he was sad to see it go. Dumbledore rose from his chair at the high table, and silence ensued.  
  
"Ahh, and another delightful feast. Our house elves out did themselves tonight."  
  
Hermione looked a little put out at that.  
  
"I have the usual announcements to make. And some others. I encourage everyone to stay out of the forbidden forest, hence its name. We are sorry that the Hogwarts express had some technical difficulties on the way here." As he said this Dumbledore looked pointedly at Harry and Hermione. Yep he knew.  
  
"I think that Mr. Filch wanted me to tell you again that the list in his office has been lengthened again. It now includes anything from Weaslys Wizard Whezezs. Our Defense against the Dark Arts teacher this year will be coming a little late. Until he comes, I will be teaching that class. Now if I can have the sixth year prefects guide the First Years to there dorms please. Thank you, Off to Bed."  
  
Harry and Hermione bid Ginny and Ron goodbye, and headed off to Dumbledore's office. They slowly made there way out of the Great Hall, there seemed to be a lot more students than in previous years. Many times they had to shove his Head boy badge in someone's face to get them to move. Even Hermione had to use her powers once or twice in a bad jam.  
  
They arrived at Dumbledore's office ten minutes late. The professor didn't seem to mind that they were late. He himself must have just gotten there. Harry felt very sorry for Ginny. She had to lead all those first years up to there dorms.  
  
"Ahh yes my Head boy and Girl. Thank you for coming." Dumbledore said with the usual twinkle behind his glasses.  
  
"Hello sir." Harry said respectfully.  
  
"The reason I first made this appointment was because I wanted to discuss your new responsibilities. In light of recent events I want you to tell me exactly what happened on the train on the way here."  
  
Harry immediately launched into a full explanation of the battle on the express. It seemed to drag on forever, but he finally got to the part about the light and the beam. Harry was hoping for some answers. When Harry started to explain about what had happened, Hermione's head snapped up and looked at him. Harry had decided to leave this out on the train so this news was a bit of a shock to Hermione.  
  
Then he told of Hermione's scar and burn. An emotion crossed Dumbledore's face that Harry had never seen there before. Surprise.  
  
"So, Ms. Granger was hit by the killing curse, and got a scar similar to the one on your forehead?"  
  
"Yes sir" Hermione answered head held high.  
  
"These scars and burns mean something, but I am not completely sure what. I recall something, but I will do some research. Instead of you going and having all the fun of searching in the library, I will. I will inform you immediately when I have found something. Besides you have you N.E.W.T's to study for." Dumbledore said eyes twinkling.  
  
"Off to bed with you, your dorm is on the seventh floor behind the picture of Byong Yu the jumper. The password is Swiss chocolate. Good night."  
  
Harry and Hermione walked slowly to there dorm room. Both thinking over what the headmaster had just told them. It was strange to think that someone other than them would be doing the mass amounts of extra research.  
  
"So what are we gonna do now that there isn't some great mystery to figure out?" Harry asked good-naturedly.  
  
Hermione chuckled and then replied  
  
"Probably something like last year."  
  
Last year had been relatively quiet, Voldemort had been quiet. Harry had had his first normal year, in his sixth. The only thing that had been especially important had been that they found a secret passage in the dungeons after potions. They found out how to add to Marauders Map and added there own room. Now they had somewhere to go when they needed to escape from Snape.  
  
They found their dorm and bid each other good night and fell right to sleep, they could admire there room tomorrow. Sleep overtook them and soon enough their first day of seventh year would begin. 


	8. Chaper Eight

Chapter Eight  
  
Harry woke up bright and early, his Dursley body clock still in effect. He was so used to waking up this early in the morning that he just did it now automatically. He wasn't sure what he was going to do with his time, considering he had four hours till class started. He sleepily looked at his alarm clock even though he knew what time it was.  
  
4:30 am  
  
The clock seemed to shine at him mockingly. Harry threw off the covers of his four poster bed and started to get ready for the day, albeit it was still dark. Walking over to his dresser he almost tripped over several articles of clothing, he didn't do a very tidy job of unpacking. Harry grabbed some clothes from the wardrobe and shuffled over to the bathroom.  
  
When he walked in he was astonished by the elegance of it all. The walls were painted gold and scarlet. Harry wondered if they changed it every time a new Head Boy came through here. Of course that wouldn't be much of a task with magic on there side. The bathtub was if possible larger than the one in the prefects bathroom, which was in itself saying something. Harry wondered how he was going to use it all by himself.  
  
An hour later Harry emerged from a very steamy bathroom. He actually had to admit that he smelled quite nice. He couldn't wait to impress Hermione on the first day back by not sleeping in. For once in Harry's life his mind wasn't on Voldemort and the impending doom of the world.  
  
He walked down to the common room and started to read his Defense against the Dark arts book, he had always found the subject interesting. Well in exception to back in his fifth year with that overgrown toad teaching. Her smile still haunted his dreams.  
  
About another hour later Hermione came down the stairs and spooked him. Harry had his wand half drawn before he realized who it was. Hermione looked just as surprised as he was, just for a different reason.  
  
"I didn't think that it was possible for you to be up so early. Doesn't it go against your code or something?"  
  
Harry listened to this and realized the hilarity of the situation. He had his wand drawn and pointed at his Girlfriend, and she was commenting on him being up so early. Harry dropped his wand and started to roll on the floor laughing. Hermione just stared at him as continued to roll around in hysterics.  
  
Harry must have been laughing for a good five minutes, because when he did get up wiping tears from his eyes. Hermione was sitting in the chair staring at her insane boyfriend.  
  
"Harry you need to calm down now, people are gonna wonder why you look like you have been crying. And what is so funny anyways?" Hermione asked critically.  
  
"You come down here and scare the hell outta me and as I have my wand pointed at you and ready to jinx you. You ask me why I'm up so early." Harry finished and started to laugh all over again, this time taking Hermione with him.  
  
The next couple of hours were spent by just being with one another. Since they both woke up with so much time to spare they, wasted it.  
  
"Maybe we should head over to the main Common Room and see if Ron is awake." Harry suggested.  
  
"I highly doubt that, but as Head Girl I can assist you in rousing our dear friend." Hermione said in a sarcastic McGonagall type voice.  
  
Harry and Hermione walked out of there common room and down the short hall to the Gryffindor common Room. Thankfully the walk was short, because it was getting close to the time that breakfast would start. Both knew that it was going to take an act of God to get their red headed friend arisen.  
  
Using there head person-ship they both walked into the seventh year boy dormitory. Hermione had never been in here before, since an occasion had never arisen that she needed to come into the dorm.  
  
"Harry, it's absolutely disgusting in here." Hermione said as she walked into the room.  
  
Harry had to admit, she was right. Albeit it had only been a day, the mess in the common room was appalling. Harry didn't remember it being that messy in there when he had lived in here.  
  
Clothes were strewn from the door to the windows and then some. To no ones surprise Ron's bed was the messiest. Obviously none of the seventh year boys had taken time to un-pack.  
  
"Ron, you git. Get up." Harry said slightly annoyed that Hermione had to walk into a room that was so messy.  
  
"Five more minutes mum..." Ron mumbled in his sleep.  
  
Harry looked at Hermione and waggled his eyebrows at her. Hermione, getting the idea of what he had in mind, nodded vigorously back oat him.  
  
"Ron hunny you need to get up for school." Harry said in a false falsetto voice.  
  
"Mum go bother Ginny." Ron mumbled, not any where near awake yet.  
  
Harry waited until Ron had fallen back into a deep sleep, which had taken only a matter of seconds.  
  
"Ron Luna is here to see you." Harry said in his impersonation of Mrs. Weasley.  
  
What Ron did next, he would not ever be able to live down for the rest of his life.  
  
"WHAT!?! Ohmygod, I need some clothes, and my hair is a mess, I haven't even brushed my teeth. MUM why didn't you wake me up sooner??? What is Luna going to think???" Ron said all this as he shot out of bed and began to dress himself.  
  
In the process of yelling at his 'mother' he had single handedly woken up the whole dorm. All of a sudden, he stopped dead still and looked around the dorm at the many sleepy eyes staring at him.  
  
Harry and Hermione were currently hysterical rolling of the floor. For the third time that day, Harry had tears of laughter in his eyes.  
  
"Harry." Ron said slowly.  
  
"Yes dear?" Harry said still in his falsetto voice.  
  
"I am going to kill you." Ron said this simply.  
  
"Ok dear, let me just tell Luna that you will be late." Harry continued. "I didn't know you really like her. It was a joke. Buuuuttt now that I know, I will make sure to say hello to her at breakfast." Harry said, another smile growing on his face.  
  
"Harry you are a dead man." Ron said. His face growing very red indeed.  
  
"Ok Ron sure. By the way, breakfast will be starting in..." he looked at his watch.  
  
It read 7:00am  
  
"...Thirty minutes. So I suggest you brush your teeth and prepare yourself for the student body." Harry smiled as he said this.  
  
Most of the seventh year boys glared at him like he was Snape himself. Harry didn't really care, they were up. He decided that it was time for him to go down to the Great Hall and wait for the student body. He took Hermione's hand and promptly walked out of the room.  
  
Within ten minutes they had reached the hall, but they were not the only ones there.  
  
Up at the head table were all the professors, and two empty chairs on one end of the table. Harry wondered why there were two extra chairs. The last time that there had been extra seating arrangements had been for the Tri- wizard tournament. Harry hoped that they would not be hosting that again.  
  
"Ah, my head Boy and Girl. Just the people I wanted to see. We are going to have new seating arrangements, the head students are going to sit at the Head table. That way the students see you as an authority figure." The headmaster explained.  
  
This seemed to make sense to Harry, as funny as it felt sitting two chairs down from Dumbledore. Sitting there among all the professors talking about there lesson plans, made Harry more than a little self-conscious.  
  
Slowly the students trickled in, Harry was happy to see that the seventh year boys were the first among them. Ron had a particularly grumpy appearance, Harry smiled at the site of his rumpled friend. Something told him that this year was going to be a good year.  
  
Then something happened that made Harry sure of this thought.  
  
Draco Malfoy sauntered into the room. Normally this would mean that Harry would get a death glare and a characteristic sneer. Today seemed different, how different Harry wouldn't know till later. Draco quickly noticed the extra seating on the High table. Next he registered who was sitting in the extra chairs.  
  
His storm gray gaze locked with Harry's jade; normally sparks would fly when this happened but not today.  
  
As their gazes met Draco did something that he had never done before.  
  
He smiled and waved to Harry.  
  
Harry felt his jaw drop as he watch Draco do this very un-characteristic thing. For once there was no hatred or spite in his eyes, it was a genuine smile. A true smile. Draco held the gaze a moment longer, just long enough to chuckle slightly at Harry's reaction.  
  
Breakfast came and went, without any mention of the new seating arrangements. Harry and Hermione received there Monday schedules and looked them over. This year they had Potions with the slytherins, big surprise there. But the real killer was that they had potions first, with the slytheins.  
  
"We need to leave so we can get down to the dungeons in time, Hermione." Harry said quickly thinking about where they were in relation to the dungeons.  
  
"Yes, that would be a good idea. I mean how would it look for the Head Boy and Girl to be late to their first class." Hermione chuckled at the thought and rose to go.  
  
They reached the dungeons relatively quickly, considering they were a good ten minute walk away. To Hermione's utter delight, they were the first there. No sooner had they take out their cauldrons did Draco walk in and sit next to them.  
  
Harry couldn't take it any longer. He needed to know what Draco's new ploy was.  
  
"Ok, Malfoy. What are you doing. You smiled during breakfast and now you want to sit next to me? Did you lose control of a memory charm or something and forget that we are mortal enemies and have been for the past six years?" Harry said, his voice betraying his curiosity.  
  
"No, actually it's a long story." Draco replied casually.  
  
"Then enlighten me." Harry replied.  
  
"When I got my Hogwarts letter, I was very excited. I was actually going to be going to school with someone I had been reading about all my life. I couldn't wait to meet the 'boy who lived'. I was hoping to make friends with you, but my father had a different idea. He was still a Death Eater at the time and was furious at me wanting to make friends with the guy who killed his master. So he put the imperious charm on my just long enough for me to hate you. After he was sentenced to the kiss the charm was broken. My mother told me the whole story over the summer holiday. I was as shocked as you are, so here I am a new person." Draco finished the story with a smile on his face.  
  
"So, let me get this straight. You aren't going to be constantly poking fun at my scar, or calling Hermione derogatory names? Your actually going to be nice to us?" Harry replied still in shock.  
  
"Yes. I was actually hoping we could become friends. I know six years is a lot to make up for, but will you give a chance?" Draco asked remorse shining in his eyes.  
  
Harry looked at Hermione and she nodded slightly, almost reluctantly.  
  
"Yes, I think that we can try that. But you are going to have to earn my trust. Its as if we just met. I don't have anything to base my opinion on, so we are starting over." Harry said and extended his hand.  
  
"I'm Harry Potter and who might you be?"  
  
"I'm Draco Malfoy, nice to meet you Harry."  
  
Then the two new friends shook hands. Thus beginning the friendship of Draco Malfoy and Harry Potter. 


	9. Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine  
  
The first three months of the year flew by, between studying for their N.E.W.T's and just trying to get all his homework in on time. The quidditch season would be starting soon and practices would be starting soon, adding to his already busy schedule.  
  
Potions class seemed to fly by. Without two evil slytherins to deal with, the class was much easier. Harry still had to contend with Snape, but even he seemed subdued. So far this year was turning out smashingly.  
  
Snape of course still tried to make Harry's day miserable, but he failed in doing that. He had of course switched Ron with Draco, in attempts to anger him. This of course had failed and both boys had had an excellent class. Harry never realized how good at potions Draco was.  
  
This day was going well, but the fate of Harry Potter had other plans in mind.  
  
"Today we will be brewing a very dangerous potion. It is called the Acidious potion. If this potion comes in contact with your skin, the skin will melt of in a very painful manner." Snape informed the class. He gave Harry a very malicious grin.  
  
Harry was hoping that Draco had wasn't lying, because trusting him with the acidious potion wasn't appealing. Even after three months of this set up Harry still had a tough time trusting him. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to either kill Harry or cause him as much pain as possible. But he had said that he was going to start over, and he was going to keep his word.  
  
Class was almost over, and the potion was almost done. Thankfully nothing had happened. The entire class was cautious handling the potion, even Crabbe and Goyle.  
  
"Harry we need more Armadillo bile." Draco said.  
  
"I'm pretty sure Ron has some extra." Harry replied.  
  
"Ok, I'm gonna go borrow some." Draco said.  
  
Harry nodded and stirred the potion, Draco was true to his word and actually had been companionable during this lesson. It was an interesting turn around. Harry had actually enjoyed the lesson, laughing with the platinum haired boy. He actually might be a friend.  
  
Of course what happened next would probably be the worst thing that happened in all of Hogwarts history. Or at least while Harry had been there.  
  
Draco walked over to Ron and Goyle's table and asked if he could borrow some Armadillo bile. Harry could see Ron nodding and bending down to get some of the bile from his book bag under the table.  
  
As he rose to hand Draco the bile, and he bashed his head on the underside of the desk. The vile of Acidious potion that was sitting waiting for him to take up to Snape, wobbled and swayed.  
  
As Ron was rubbing the back of his head, still bent under the table...the vile fell. It fell and shattered on the edge of the table, splattering the back of Ron's head and his hand in Acidious potion.  
  
Ron screamed his scream echoed through the dungeons, and probably farther. The piercing scream rattled around the dungeon and brought looks of horror to all the class mates faces. Regardless of house all the students in the classroom looked equally horrified. Friend or enemy no one would ever wish the pain that was etched onto Ron's face on anyone.  
  
Not even a second after the scream had left Ron's mouth Snape had blasted into action. He shot out of his chair at the head of the class like a rocket. His wand was out of his robes faster than Harry could see.  
  
"Frezeium impenda !" Snape yelled  
  
A shot of ice blue light crossed the room and came in contact with Ron's head. Immediately after it hit, the top half of Ron's body froze. His head and torso were encased in a coffin of ice. The look of pain and horror still etched on to his face.  
  
"Potter, Granger take him to Madam Pomfry and tell her what happened." Snape said quietly.  
  
Harry and Hermione just stared at him in awe of what he had just did. Even though he hated Harry, Ron, and Hermione he still had done everything in his power to save Ron as much pain as possible.  
  
"What are you waiting for?!? NOW!" Snape bellowed.  
  
This seemed to snap Harry and Hermione out of there trances and snap into action. As gently as they could they levitated Ron's frozen body into the air. The walk to the Hospital wing seemed to drag on forever, but Harry knew better. What was he going to do without Ron by his side? Who would be there to talk quidditch to, or to make a joke, or to play wizards chess with? No, he wouldn't let himself think like that. Ron was going to be fine.  
  
Snape only said it was so bad to scare them, right? There is no way that if a potion was that dangerous then why would they let seventeen year olds brew such a thing? Nothing added up, it just didn't seem to make sense to Harry, but then again right now nothing makes sense. All Harry cared about right now was making sure that Ron was safe, nothing else mattered in the world.  
  
The Hospital wing door never looked so ominous, tall, dark and foreboding. Thick brown doors, ancient carvings etched into the thick oak doors. Harry had been here many times in his school days, but very few times did he remember walking in the actual doors. Ninety-five percent of the time he had been unconscious at the time of entry.  
  
Harry pushed the doors open and they creaked, adding to the creepy effect. Harry and Hermione found Madam Pomfrey putting some charms on a sickly looking student.  
  
"What are you stud...Oh my god, what happened?!?" Madam Pomfrey basically shrieked when she saw what they were carrying in between them.  
  
"Some acidious potion spilled on his hand and the back of his head. Professor Snape used a charm on him to keep him from pain, but I think that the potion is still in effect." Hermione spilled out as if she was answering a question in class.  
  
Harry rather reluctantly looked down at his frozen friend. Just as Hermione had said, the potion was still taking its toll on Ron's frozen body. Through the reflected maze of ice Harry could just make out the back of Ron's head and the potion still sizzling and bubbling there. Harry quickly looked away, the sight of his best friends head melting away was just too much for him.  
  
Lucky for Ron, Harry, and Hermione Madam Pomfrey knew just what to do, and didn't lose her head.  
  
"Harry, I want you to come with me and take him to St. Mungos. Hermione, I want you to floo to the burrow and tell the Weasleys what has happened and get them to St. Mungos as fast as the whole family can get there. Thank god you're the head Boy and Girl, other wise it would be against rules to send you out of the castle...Well get going." Madam Pomfrey snapped  
  
Hermione immediately grabbed a pinch of flew powder and tossed into the fire. The flames turned emerald green and she blew a kiss to Harry and disappeared with...  
  
"The Burrow!"  
  
Harry turned to Madam Pomfrey and she nodded curtly. They each took a side of the frozen body and crossed over to the fire. And with a short pinch and yell they were gone in a woosh of jade flames, they were gone. 


	10. Chapter Ten

AN – Ok, I have gotten some review asking some questions. I decided to edit this chapter and answer all those questions...well just some.  
  
Another thing, I have re-read my story and have noticed many...many spelling mistakes. Over the next week I will be fixing them, so if you see this updated its just me fixing things. Well, I hope you review soon.  
  
Sean signing out!  
  
Charliepotter – thanks for reviewing, you know I love you.  
  
Chapter Ten (A)  
  
Hermione's POV  
  
Hermione toppled out of the fireplace at the burrow and looked around to see if anyone was home. Coughing slightly at the ashes that were now swirling around the room. Mrs. Weasley must have heard someone come out of the fireplace, and come to see who it was.  
  
Hermione had seen some things this year that she really hadn't wanted or needed to see. The image of Ron's head and torso encased was first and foremost in her mind, but another scene invaded her thought process.  
  
- - - Hermione sat in the living room of Remus Lupin's house patiently awaiting something that she hoped would never come. Yet at the same time, she craved the completion, she craved to share her sadness with someone who would really understand. Some one who would cry with her, someone to hold her while she needed it.  
  
In the last two days she had not only ruined her friendship with Harry, but it seemed to ruin her life also. Hermione wasn't sure if she really wanted her life to go on.  
  
"This must just be a sign for me to end it all." Hermione thought to herself.  
  
Harry currently was in the far bedroom trying to avoid her at all costs. It seemed his goal in life to stay as far away from her as humanly possible. And who could blame him? What she had said to him was irreparable, she could never take those words back, she could never say anything to deserve forgiveness for it. Hermione herself wasn't sure if she could forgive herself.  
  
Hermione stared at the fireplace as she thought all this and slowly twirled her hair in her fingertips.  
  
A small 'pop' announced the arrival of Mr. Granger. Hermione was glad to see him, and at the same time scared to death of what she had to tell him. She quickly ran over to him and gave him a huge hug. She could feel the tears tickling the back of her eyelids, but she needed to hold them back for now.  
  
"Hunny, why did we have to meet here? Why not at the house? And where is your mother?" Mr. Granger quickly inquired.  
  
He had hit the nail on the head. He had asked the exact questions she didn't want to answer. She wasn't sure how she was going to do this, she was always a daddy's girl and wasn't sure how she was going to break this terrible news to him. How was he going to handle it? What was he going to do, when she herself couldn't handle it? Being the cleverest witch in Hogwarts couldn't save her the sorrow and pain that she was going to have feel in a moment.  
  
"Daddy, Mommy's gone." Hermione said very quietly.  
  
Mr. Granger gave her a confused look.  
  
"What do you mean 'gone hunny? Is she going on a trip?"  
  
"No Daddy, she's gone forever. She was murdered by Death Eaters." Hermione said emotion vehement on her face.  
  
"Is that the bad people you told me about last summer?" Mr. Granger asked starting to understand the whole picture.  
  
"Yes, they killed her and destroyed the house. I don't know where we are going to live." Hermione said  
  
That happened to be a horror of hers, not having somewhere to live. She really didn't mean to bring that to his attention right now, but it had somehow slipped out.  
  
Mr. Granger opened his mouth to say something hopfully comforting to Hermione when someone else spoke up from the dark hallway.  
  
"Mr. Granger, I have had the same thought, and since it is partially my fault that Mrs. Granger is dead." Harry swallowed hard. "I want you to have Grimauld Place. It was where my Godfather lived for awhile, and it will be more than enough for you and Hermione." Harry said, he just seemed to stand there.  
  
"Harry, that is very gracious of you, and while I'm sure that it is no fault of yours, I am very grateful for the offer. But where we are going to live will be a matter we can discuss later." Mr. Granger said, keeping his voice straight.  
  
Harry nodded and as if knowing what to do, promptly left the room.  
  
What Harry said, totally took Hermione by surprise. She hadn't expected to ever hear from Harry again. It was amazing that he was still willing to offer up something to someone who had hurt him so deeply. Hermione once again crashed into her fathers arms. She couldn't stand it anymore. She let her tears flow, once the initial tears came, so did a flood of them. They seemed to never end. Mr. Grangers thick arms circled her body and slowly rocked her back and forth. He lay his head down on top of hers and let his own tears fall, this was going to be a difficult time for them, but they could get through it together. When she was encircled by his arms, everything felt like it could work; even her friendship with Harry seemed salvageable.  
  
She would just have to figure out a way to get Harry back, even if it took the rest of her, then it would be worth it. She would get Harry back, no matter what the cost. Harry would become her goal in life, as sad as that sounded; it was what her heart told her.  
  
Little did she know that it wouldn't be long before she would have what she desired most of all.  
- - -  
  
Hermione shook herself out of her memories and looked around the room.  
  
"Hello? Who is there?" Mrs. Weasleys voice came from the next room over.  
  
Hermione had a sudden urge to laugh, at the memory of Harry and Hermione trying to wake up Ron. At the same time it wanted to make her cry, at the memory of her red-headed friend.  
  
"Mrs. Weasley! Come quick, something has happened to Ron." Hermione scratched out.  
  
"Hermione dear is that you? What has happened to Ron?" Mrs. Weasleys voice came, now just a bit more strained.  
  
Hermione pushed through the kitchen door and came face to face with Mrs. Weasley.  
  
"Something happened to Ron, Mrs. Weasley. We were in potions and...and...." Hermione finally broke down and started to cry.  
  
She had been strong while she was needed, now it was just to much to take. Her best friend for the best part of seven years, was now in critical danger. How was she going to go on if Ron didn't make it?  
  
No  
  
She would not think like that, he was going to be fine, just fine! Mrs. Weasley looked like she was at a loss. She still didn't know what had happened to her son.  
  
"Mrs. Weasley, we were in Potions and some acidious potion spilled on Ron's head and hand. Professor Snap put a Frezum charm on him, but Harry and Madam Pomfrey went to St. Mungos." Hermione said, trying her best not to burst into tears just at the thought of Ron's head frozen in a block of ice.  
  
"Oh my...well, then we need to find the rest of the family then don't we?" Mrs. Weasley said, trying to keep a calm façade. She was doing a good job, but Hermione knew her well enough that she could see through it.  
  
"Yes, after we have done that we can proceed to St. Mungos to see what the medi-witches and wizards can do for him." Hermione said, trying to ignore that Mrs. Weasley was slowly losing her outward appearance.  
  
Hermione looked around the kitchen and saw many things that reminded her of Ron. The spoon that Mrs. Weasley had chased Ron around the room with, during the summer. Plenty of other things she saw brought memories flashing back. Then Hermione realized where her thought process was going. She was making it sound like Ron was already dead, instead of rushing on a stretcher to St. Mungos.  
  
Ron would be back. He would make it, then when he was all better he could make more memories in this very kitchen. She had to stay strong, because if she didn't then Mrs. Weasley surly wouldn't. Ron was going to win this argument, this battle he would pull through.  
  
"I'm going to make a quick floo and inform Arthur, Fred and George what has happened." Mrs. Weasley said as she walked out the door.  
  
Hermione decided that it would be best for her to follow so she could supply any details. She looked at her watch and realized that she had already spent ten minutes in the Weasley kitchen.  
  
"Arthur, you have to come home. We need to go to St. Mungos, Ron has been injured."  
  
"What happened...I'll be on my way."  
  
"Wait, can you grab Fred and George on the way home?"  
  
"Of course Molly dear."  
  
Mr. Weasleys head disappeared from the fireplace with a 'pop'. Mrs. Weasley turned and stared at Hermione, as if asking for more details.  
  
Hermione didn't know what to do under this kind of scrutiny so she turned away. Thankfully she was saved having to elaborate what Ron's head looked like in a block of ice.  
  
With three loud 'pops', Mr. Weasley, Fred and George materialized into the Weasley living room.  
  
"What the hell happened?" came three urgent voices at the same instant.  
  
Hermione vaguely thought that the twins were wearing off on their father they were now all speaking at the same time.  
  
Hermione wasn't thrilled, but once again she recounted the story of the potions accident. She had to reiterate many times that Draco had nothing to do with it. It was taking quite a bit of work to get the Weasleys to believe that he wasn't like he was before.  
  
"Well, well what are we waiting for?" and without further ado Arthur and the Twins dissaperated.  
  
Hermione looked at Mrs. Weasley once and nodded, and with another pop she was gone too. Hermione turned her back and grabbed some floo powder. With a quick word and a flash of burning green flames, she was gone too. 


	11. Chapter Eleven

Chapter 11  
  
Harry and Madam Pomfrey stepped out of the fireplace at St. Mungos. Ron's body was hovering in the air between them. His head had started to drip, as the acidious potion slowly continued to eat away at the icy coffin.  
  
Harry was starting to get a little nervous about Ron's condition as they walked the long white hall. He couldn't help thinking that he wasn't going to make it. Blood was now mingiling with the droplets of steaming water. The mere fact that death was a possibility was disturbing.  
  
The white walls of St. Mungos irritated Harry's eyes. The white reflected the torches hanging on the walls. The flickering torch light left and eerie residue on the inside of his eyes as Harry and Madam Pomfrey walked along the hall. Their shadows flickered and moved as they walked down the hall, giving the feeling of being followed.  
  
The medi-witch at the front desk was looking at a vanity magazine when they walked up. She blew a bubble with her bubble gum and slowly turned the page. Harry made a coughing sound and she put down the magazine, revealing a young face with short hair and a nose piercing. Harry had never seen this witch in particular, but he knew that they had a tendency to be short tempered and impatient.  
  
As her bored expression passed over the body hovering between them, she visibly paled. Her eyes grew wide, and she began to stutter.  
  
"Third fl...Floor, potion dd...damage." She managed to mumble out.  
  
Madam Pomfrey nodded curtly, and continued to walk down the white corridor. They walked a little and came to a halt in front of the lift. She pressed the button and the lift rattled to a halt in front of them. They both stepped inside and Ron's body silently followed them inside.  
  
The lift clattered to a halt and the three stepped out into an empty corridor. If anything it seemed more ominous than the last. More flickering candle light and dancing shadows.  
  
They rushed down the corridor and came to a halt before the circular desk. A dark haired Asian man looked from the parchment he was writing on. He looked surprised to see anyone in his ward, it must not be everyday that someone spills a potion on themselves...well at least not acidious potion.  
  
"How may I help you?" the man asked, questions flickering in his dark eyes.  
  
"My friend here," Harry gestured to Ron. "Got some Acidious potion on his head and hand. I think it has spread since then. It was about thirty minutes ago, my potions professor placed a freezum charm on him, but that is fading as we speak." Harry was surprised as how level his voice was.  
  
"I see." The Asian man said, placing the tips of his fingers tips together.  
  
His calmness was unnerving. The fact that he could stare at Ron's frozen face and not even flinch was odd. This man must have seen a lot, who knows what kind of patients came in here. As far as Harry was concerned, the only thing that he had seen worse than Ron was Cedric's cold lifeless body. The thought of Ced's face gave Harry the shivers. Even though it had been two years since then, he still didn't like to dwell on it. Besides, Ron was not dead yet.  
  
"Lets take him to room 54, and I will look at him. I am healer Lee. You are?" Healer Lee snapped him out of his reverie with his choppy English.  
  
"I'm Harry, Harry Potter. And this is Madam Pomfrey, she is the nurse at Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry." Harry said quickly.  
  
They didn't waste more time with talking, instead they walked down the hall and entered the room Lee guided them too. It was a medium sized room, with one bed and only one window.  
  
"Good thing it isn't too small." Harry thought  
  
When all the Weasleys showed up this room was going to feel very small. They should be here anytime now. Hermione couldn't have had too much trouble explaining the situation to the Weasley clan.  
  
Lee followed them into the room and took control of Ron's body. After hovering Ron onto the bed he began the slow process of melting the Frezum charm off of his upper torso. It seemed to take forever, it had to be done slowly otherwise Lee would melt what was left of Ron's skin with the ice.  
  
After he was done, what was exposed was not a pretty sight. Harry was having trouble looking at his best friend for more than a minute at a time. The Acidious potion had really gone to work with his skin. At some places bones were poking threw. Thankfully the Freezum charm had stopped it before it had hit any major organs.  
  
All the hair on the back of Ron's head was gone, and so was some of the skin. Some of his upper vertebrae were showing through that mass of burned tissue...and that was the least damaged part of him. His hand was almost completely incinerated. Not much skin remained on his hand, only a little on the upper side of his palm. The look of horror was still etched on to his face, which made the whole thing look even worse. It reminded his of something he had seen on one of Dudley's DVD's "The Mummy". All in all Ron did not look good.  
  
Harry was having a tough time remembering that Ron wasn't dead yet. He was still going to make it. Looking at his best friend in this condition wasn't easy. It scared Harry, more than Voldemort, more than the fact that he was going to have to face him soon. He decided that he should start to think of a fond memory of him, just to cheer him up.  
  
- - - "Hey Harry, what is the effect of 'Red dye # 3' in potion making?" Ron asked chewing on his quill.  
  
"I don't know Ron, I always thought that it was a muggle food ingredient. Other than that, I'm clueless." Harry replied ripping into a chocolate frog.  
  
"Harry, dear, your always clueless." Hermione said walking into the common room.  
  
"I love you too Hermione." Harry said rolling his eyes.  
  
Harry glanced around the common room, he was never going to get this done, his mind was just not in it right now. Lots of first years were sitting around doing their measly homework assignments. They must have a really tough life, Harry thought sarcastically.  
  
A particular first year caught his eye, a lone black haired kid sitting in the corner all by himself. He seemed fairly absorbed in his work, but Harry could see his stunning blue eyes dash towards the other groups frequently. Harry quickly took pity on him, and decided that a break from his homework would not kill him.  
  
He walked over to him and sat down, as he did so he realized who this kid was. It was James, James Black, the new first year that had caught his attention at the opening feast. Harry had totally forgot to talk to him, he was extremely curious about his last name. Harry wondered how he could have possibly been related to his godfather, but he was going to find out.  
  
"Hey kid, whatcha doin? Why aren't you sitting with your friends?" Harry asked  
  
"I don't have any friends." James quickly replied  
  
"Well then, what are you doing? Homework?" Harry said trying to start a conversation  
  
"No I already did my homework, this is a extra project. I'm actually trying to create my own spell. It seems to be coming along nicely. It's a counter curse for the killing curse. Its almost done."  
  
"Wow, that's really cool." Harry said doubting a first year could create a spell that no grown wizard could make.  
  
"Well now you do, I'm Harry Potter." Harry said and stuck out his hand.  
  
"I know who you are, and I'm surprised you haven't talked to me sooner. My uncle sent me this letter before he died. He told me that you would ask about my last name." James said scratching something out with his quill. Then shaking Harry's hand.  
  
"Well then, your uncle must have known me pretty well. Who was he?" Harry asked already knowing the answer.  
  
"He was Sirius Black." James answered in a whisper.  
  
"Hmm, he was my Godfather," Harry said playing along as if he didn't know these answers. "Did you like your uncle? He was a great man, he saved my life the day he died, I will always remember that." Harry said thinking about the day in the department of mysteries.  
  
"He saved your life? How?" James asked, finally looking interested in the conversation.  
  
The next hour was spent telling James all the times they had together. All the times Sirius had saved Harry's skin, intentionally or not. Harry enjoyed telling him all this, it brought back the memories of all the good times they had together.  
  
"Wow, he really was cool. I wish I could have met him." James said with a sigh.  
  
"Did he leave anything else?" Harry asked hoping to find something from his late Godfather.  
  
"I don't think so, but here is the letter he sent me." James said handing a letter to Harry.  
  
Harry opened it with shaking hands, wanting to see some of the last words of Sirius. As he picked up the piece of parchment tears sprang to his eyes. He quickly blinked them back. Dear James, January 1, 1995  
  
I don't know how much longer I will be around, the times are getting rough. I cannot be sure if I will be alive to see you go to school. When you do, Harry Potter will be in his last year there. When he meets you, he will most defiantly ask about your last name. Tell him you are related to me, that will be enough for him. Remember you will always be my favorite nephew.  
  
Love Uncle Sirius  
  
Ps. Oh, make sure to show him this letter, tell him to think of it as a 'map'  
  
Harry couldn't believe that this had been sent mere months before he died. How could he have known? Harry read through it again and the second time through the ps made sense. There was only one map that Sirius would think of.  
  
Harry quickly pulled out his wand and pointed it at the paper.  
  
"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." Harry said the same way he had said it a thousand times.  
  
The letter erased itself and little lines of ink started to spread out from his wand tip. It had formed a new letter.  
  
Dear Harry,  
  
If you are reading this that means that I am dead. I am sorry I could not have been there for more of you childhood, and the rest of your life. You are a strong man and will be a great wizard one day. You will find the power within yourself to fight Voldemort and you will kill him, I know you will. I have a few requests, one of them is to take care of James for me, he is my only Nephew, and I love him very much. My second is that you will talk to Dumbledore, I have a hunch and I think he can help you out very much. My third request is that you need to get a girlfriend. Your father would kill me if you didn't have a girlfriend by the end of your years at Hogwarts. I don't think you will have too much trouble, there is a certain Gryffindor girl that would gladly take you I think. I won't mention any names though. Always remember that I love you and I am always watching you, wherever I am.  
  
Love always  
  
Sirius.  
  
Harry couldn't believe what he was reading. He thought that he would never have his last word with Sirius, and yet here he was reading his last word to him.  
  
"Ron." He crocked out his dry mouth.  
  
Ron walked over and took one look at Harry's face and took the letter from him. Ron's eyes skimmed it over from top to bottom three times before he looked up.  
  
"Well," He cleared his throat. "He was a great man, and I think that we should honor his last wishes. What do you think Harry?" Ron said a little tenderly.  
  
"Yeah. Well James you are officially part of the group." Harry said.  
  
James looked up eagerly.  
  
"Really? I can hang out with you guys?" James asked  
  
"Yup." Ron said. "Well me an you have to have a talk first, you need to know the rules of the group." Ron said with a wicked grin.  
  
James gulped. "Ok..."  
  
Ron dragged him off to the table that he and Harry had been sitting at before. Meanwhile Harry started to analyze Sirius' second request. Now that he thought of it, Dumbledore seemed to have a hunch too. Interesting. The third request was already done, no thanks to him.  
  
Harry got up and walked back to the table to finish his homework, it was done in no time.  
  
- - -  
  
That had happened a couple of weeks ago. James had fit right in with the three of them. Hermione was currently helping him with his extra project. She had taken a look at it and said that it might work. If she said it might work then it might work. James had taken to Hermione the best, he was friends with all of them now, but he stuck with her the most. Every once and while they would get into a complicated conversation about the contents of a spell or charm and go on forever. It would always lose Harry and Ron. He was a very smart kid; Harry personally didn't think he belonged in first year.  
  
In the next hour, lots of things happened, and it turned out that the room was too small. Once everyone showed up, it was packed. The Healers said that they were going to be able to fix him, but it would take some time. He was going to be in the hospital wing at Hogwarts for two months. They decided that it would be better to move him so that he could continue his studies.  
  
Harry was actually relived to go, he was tired mentally and physically. They arrived back at Hogwarts by three o'clock, and totally crashed into the Head boy and girl common room. Harry made a mental note before he fell asleep to talk to Dumbledore in the morning. He was going to ask him about what he had found, and if there was anything they could do about Sirius. The weeks after he read that letter he had been thinking of ways to get him back. Harry was going to try even if it was impossible, he was going to try. 


	12. Chapter Twelve

A/N – Well this story is finally starting to flow out. Anyways this will be my last update before Christmas.(duh its Christmas eve). Happy holidays to all who is reading this.  
  
Thanks to all my wonderful reviewers and I hope to hear from you for this chap. Ok well, not much to say. Enjoy!  
  
Sean Signing out! Chapter Thirteen  
The Sword of Destiny  
  
Dumbledore surveyed the young adult sitting in front of him. It had only been a couple of hours since they had returned from St. Mungos, and the youth was exhausted. Dumbledore had spared him a couple of hours of sleep, but it seemed that all the hours in the world weren't enough.  
  
"Why are we here Professor?" Harry asked gesturing to himself and Hermione.  
  
"Because I have found what we are looking for." Dumbledore said with an air of mysteriousness about him.  
  
"You mean you understand what happened on the Hogwarts Express?" Harry asked almost before Dumbledore had finished his sentence.  
  
"Yes, I have finally found the reason Hermione survived the curse and why you managed to harness it. Its actually simple." Dumbledore said  
  
"Ages ago, when magic wasn't the only way wizards battled, a pair of swords were created. Two and only two, they must be wielded by two people who have enough magical power to harness them. Of course when they were made the makers didn't realize that, even the makers of the sword weren't strong enough to wield them. It was then that they realized what they had created, something so powerful that if it fell into the wrong hands it would be the end of the world. So they hid them, they hid them well. After they died no one knew where they were hidden. They left one map, but it does not show the final destination, and crucial points along the way. Many have tried to follow the map without the last bits, but all have come back empty handed." Dumbledore finished.  
  
"Who made the map?" Hermione asked, no doubt with the intention of doing some research.  
  
"Patrick Potter." Dumbledore said quietly.  
  
Hermione let out a gasp. Harry almost fell out of the chair. And Dumbledore just kept on staring at them.  
  
"Is that a relative of mine, sir?" Harry asked  
  
"Yes, Harry he was your ancestor. He and his wife Jasmine made the swords and wrote the map." He said  
  
"Where is the map?" Harry asked "As a matter of fact, I have it. While I was calling around to gather information for this research project one of my 'sources' found it for me and sent it to me." Dumbledore said  
  
"May I see it?" Hermione asked.  
  
"Yes you may." Dumbledore said as he handed her a folded piece of parchment.  
  
It was a normal map, with bits a pieces missing. Harry didn't see anything special about it, but as he reached out to take it from Hermione something strange happened.  
  
Words started spreading out from the edges making a full ring around the map.  
  
A Potter holds the map once again The time has come to face the Father of Lies Soon the Confrontation will begin, but without the Swords it is useless Together the pair must face him, but only one alone will slay him, but divided they will fall To find the Swords you must unlock my secrets Inside you lay the answer A secret passed down the family tree will unlock The Swords of Destiny  
  
Harry was stunned; whoever had enchanted this map had really done a job on it. What the map had said almost contradicted the prophecy. Almost, still it came down to him and Voldemort. The only thing that had changed would be the fact that without Hermione by his side he would fail. And without the Swords they would fail.  
  
"Well this is a problem." Hermione spoke up.  
  
"What is?" Harry asked a little snappishly, there was obviously a problem.  
  
"It says 'A secret passed down in the family' well...umm...you father...err." Hermione ended lamely  
  
"He didn't live long enough to tell me the damn secret." Harry said angrily. This kind of stuff always happened to him, not to anyone else, him. He hated it, it just wasn't fair.  
  
"I'm going to leave the map in your possession Harry, it obviously belongs to you." Dumbledore said snapping Harry out of his reverie.  
  
"Wait, I have one more thing I want to ask you." Harry said.  
  
"And that is Mr. Potter?"  
  
"Since the final battle is obviously coming soon, I was wondering if I could start a group inside the school, so that way when I fight him I won't be totally alone. I was thinking a group of seven people. Myself, Hermione, Ginny, Neville, Luna, Draco, and James Black. We could train together and devise attack plans." Harry said.  
  
Harry had been thinking about this for a long time and he thought it would be good to kind of start the DA again. Except this time have it select people so that way he could train them specially.  
  
"James Black?" Dumbledore asked curiously  
  
"Yes sir, he is very smart for his age, and personally I don't think that he should be in first year at all. Him and Hermione are working up a counter curse for the Avada Kedevra. Hermione said it might work." Harry said  
  
"Ahh, yes Mr. Black will be taking his OWL's next week actually. You have heard of genius's who go to collage at the age of ten, well Mr. Black seems to be doing just that. He will be a good addend on to you team. Yes you may start the team; I personally think it is a wonderful idea." Dumbledore said with pride in his old eyes.  
  
"Thank you sir, for everything maybe we have a chance to kill Voldemort just yet." Harry said  
  
"Of course Harry. Make sure to try that map, you just might have the answer after all." Dumbledore said with the twinkle in his eyes.  
  
With that they left and went to their dorm rooms, and fell asleep instantly. Thankfully for them the next day was Saturday.  
  
- - -  
  
"Harry why are we here?" Ginny asked impatiently.  
  
"I'm getting to that Gin." Harry said  
  
"If you look around the room you will notice two things. Can anyone tell me what they are?" Harry asked to the room in general.  
  
Luna's hand shot up into the air.  
  
"Yes Luna?"  
  
"We are all members of the DA, and we are all people who went to the Department of Mysteries with you." She said confidently  
  
"Good, but that's about to change. We are starting a new team, much like the DA, but smaller. Its going to be called DA, but not for Dumbledore's Army, we are Destiny's Army. And we are going to be adding two new people." Harry said happily, he had thought up the name in History of Magic class.  
  
Murmurs ran around the Room of Requirement.  
  
"Come out James, Draco." Harry said to the door behind him.  
  
James and Draco walked out of the room and waved to everybody. Harry was still a little cautious about James. He maybe a genius, but he was still young. Harry didn't feel too good about introducing an eleven year old to the kind of things that they were about to talk about.  
  
"This is Draco Malfoy, I'm sure you all know him...one way or another." Harry added with a smirk, which earned him a friendly punch in the arm.  
  
"This is my friend James Black. I know he is young, but he is a genius." James waved to everyone and blushed at Harry's complements.  
  
"Why are we here?" Draco so aptly asked.  
  
"I'm about to tell you. What I tell you no one is to know, this is going to be a secret of the team. What I tell you in here we tell no one! I don't think I can stress that point enough." Harry said, and they all nodded back at him.  
  
For the next hour Harry explained to the group about the prophecy, and the map. Looks were passed around the room so fast Harry almost couldn't catch them all. He also explained to them about the Order of the Phoenix. By the end of his speech, most of their mouths were hanging open in shock.  
  
"So what your saying is that you have to kill him, or he is gonna kill you?" Neville asked white faced.  
  
"Yes that is exactly what I am saying. But I can't do it without the Swords."  
  
"Ok, its Saturday so we have all day to train. Lets get started, Ginny, Neville I want you to go into that room and practice dueling."  
  
Luna, Draco I want you to go into that room and work on your Patronus's, I found a boggart and charmed to only turn into a dementor."  
  
Hermione, James I want you to work on that spell, hopefully you can finish it soon so we can practice it. And I'm going to work on the map." Harry finished directing everyone and they went their different ways.  
  
They spent all afternoon doing different things, Harry was extremely happy with they progress they made. Neville and Ginny dueled all day, and by the time they came out of the room they were both sweaty and tired. Draco and Luna, both managed to defeat the boggart. Hermione and James poured over a piece of parchment for hours whispering to each other and not letting anyone come near.  
  
Harry made no progress at all, the map just said the same thing over and over again, and it said he knew the secret but he didn't. He had tried every ink revealing charm he knew. Nothing worked.  
  
"Listen UP!" Harry got everyone's attention. "You all did great today, everyone worked hard, and hopefully made some progress." Harry cast a meaningful glance at James and Hermione. "I can't wait to see what the next meeting will bring. Here are the same coins that we used for the original DA." Harry passed them out and quickly explained what they would do. After that he dismissed every one and they all left the room of requirement in a better mood. 


	13. Chapter Thirteen

Hey all! Glad to be back and writing. Sorry this one took such a long time, but it was worth it, personally I think this is a good chap, hope you do too. Thanks everyone for supporting me while I write this, and it really means a lot to me. Talk to you all later!  
  
Sean signing out! Chapter Fourteen  
The Plans of the Unseen  
  
A small balding man writhed in pain on the floor as a constant stream of gold light penetrated his body. Voldemort laughed while he administered the pain curse to his most faithful servant. No matter how many times he did it, he always got a great deal of pleasure from watching someone in that much pain. The only thing that would give him more pleasure than torturing someone would be killing that Potter brat.  
  
"My lord, I am truly sorry." Peter panted. "I could not find the map. Potter keeps it under close guard at all hours, he even has an alarm charm on it. If I so much as touch it the whole castle will be upon me in seconds. I am truly sorry." Peter's head drooped.  
  
"You are forgiven Peter. It really doesn't matter about the map anyway; Potter is the only one who can read it. What we are going to do is follow him; he will eventually lead us right to it." The dark lord replied  
  
"Thank you master. But who is going to use the Swords?" Peter asked tentatively.  
  
"You and I will use the Swords of course!" Voldemort replied, getting a little annoyed at Peter ignorance.  
  
He was the most powerful wizard in the world, if anyone could use the Sword it was he. Peter would no doubt die when he touched the Sword, but that was not important. The only thing mattered was that after he obtained the Sword he killed Potter. He had to kill Potter, if no one else at that ruddy school then Potter. He would like to kill that wrinkled fig of a man, Dumbledore.  
  
"Now what we are...." Voldemort's voice faded into the distance.  
  
- - -  
  
"What happened Potter? We were just about to find out about the Dark Lords plans!" Snape roared at Harry.  
  
"I don't know! The connection just disappeared!" Harry said angrily back.  
  
"Fine! We will try again at another time!" Snape spat, and slammed the door.  
  
Dumbledore had decided that it might be a good idea for Snape to see if he could see Voldemort, and or his plans. Well, it had worked, but not for long enough for it to really make a difference. Harry and the rest of the Order already knew that Voldemort wanted the swords just as bad as Harry did. Harry wanted to find the swords so bad; he didn't know what to do with himself. He would sit in the common room till late in the night just staring at the wrinkled piece of parchment.  
  
Somewhere in the back of Harry's mind he knew that the Sword would help him get Sirius back, and that thought alone made Harry want the sword so bad. For two weeks Harry stared at the map and saw nothing other than a map, with little bits and pieces missing. It wasn't until late Friday night that Harry realized what to do.  
  
Harry was sitting in the common room at two in the morning, doing what he had been doing for the last four hours...staring at the map. As usual this was about the point where Harry would get angry and stomp upstairs and swear into his pillow for twenty minutes. Tonight was different though, as he got up from his squishy chair, he slipped on the hearthrug and fell forward. As he tried to get back up the Marauders map fell out of his pocket and landed right next to the other map.  
  
As they sat there on the ground Harry realized how similar they were. Maybe it was the fact that it was the wee hours of the morning, or because he had been spending too much time with Hermione, Harry had an idea. He bent down and picked up the other map, and pressed his wand up against it.  
  
"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." Harry said groggily.  
  
Harry's eyes widened as miniscule lines weaved their way around the empty bits. Harry couldn't believe his luck, it had actually worked.  
  
"Dad, either you were an idiot, or a frigging genius." Harry said to no on in particular.  
  
Harry dashed up to his dorm, ran to the other door and threw it open.  
  
"Hermione! Hermione! Wake up!" Harry yelled as he ran into her room.  
  
"What is it Harry? Did you have a nightmare?" Hermione questioned.  
  
Harry didn't answer; instead he held up the map and lighted it with his wand. Harry watched as Hermione's eyes got huge. She skimmed the page three times before looking up at Harry.  
  
"Harry, you're a genius! What activated it? Oh never mind it doesn't matter. We have to find them. If you know, then so does Voldemort." Hermione said in a semi rush.  
  
"I'll leave a note for Dumbledore. He probably already knows anyways. Look here..." He pointed to the map "...this shows that it is in the forbidden forest, deep obviously, but right there." Harry finished.  
  
"Go get dressed, and we'll meet in the common room. Bring the Invisibility cloak." Hermione said, taking charge of the situation.  
  
"Ok dear." Harry said knowing she knew what to do.  
  
Ten minutes later they both were standing in the Common room ready to go. Then something stuck Harry.  
  
"Maybe we should get the rest of the DA? Wouldn't they be useful?" Harry asked  
  
"Yeah probably. Lets be quick though." Hermione said.  
  
Twenty minutes after that the whole of DA was assembled in the Entrance hall. It was a good thing that Harry was head boy otherwise he wouldn't have been able to get Draco.  
  
"Alright, everybody stick to your team mates. Just like the buddy system, except now it means something. We can do this, but remember no matter what do not touch the Swords." Harry addressed his team.  
  
"Yes sir!"  
  
"Lets go!"  
  
"We can do this!"  
  
"Bring it on!"  
  
At the last mantra, Harry had to laugh. Little James saying bring it on was just hilarious. 


	14. Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen  
  
Harry, Hermione, James, Draco, Luna, Neville, and Ginny all trekked into the forbidden forest, despite its name. They all knew that it was forbidden, but they also knew that the fate of the world may rest in its creaking branches.  
  
The walk into the heart of the forest didn't take long. With all seven of their wands alight, they had a small dome of light. Every other time that Harry had been into the forest, he had been alone, or with sparse company. This time though, it almost seemed pleasant...almost. The pending fate of everything he held dear was lurking behind him like a shadow.  
  
Harry led the party, and followed the map to a fault. He took as many steps as it said, and he turned where it said. He did everything perfect, not one mistake. But when they came to the end of the trail, there wasn't anything. Nothing, absolutely nothing. Just a few trees that didn't look different from any of the others.  
  
"Where are they???" Draco asked  
  
"I don't know..." Harry said. "...The map says that they should be right here." Harry said pointing to a stump on the ground.  
  
They all spread out among the small clearing, all searching for something, although they didn't know what that was. Surprisingly enough it was Neville who found it.  
  
"Hey Harry, look at this." Neville called from the center of the clearing. He pointed at the stump. "See that carving? I think that might be something."  
  
Harry looked at it more closely. It was a small carving of a big 'M' inside a big 'P'. Harry guessed that it was the ancient sign of the Marauders. Assuming that, he pointed his wand at it and said the words that his father had used many times before.  
  
"I solemnly swear I am up to no good." Harry said.  
  
The carving glowed blue for a split second. Then it died away.  
  
"That didn't work, maybe there are more of these?" Ginny said.  
  
So, the search began again. Searching high and low for something they weren't sure was there. After around ten minutes, they found one more, then another and another. It wasn't long before they had found eight inscriptions.  
  
Now they had another problem. There were only seven of them.  
  
"What are we going to do now?" James asked showing his intelligence by being the first person to notice.  
  
"What do you mean?" Harry asked.  
  
"There are eight carvings, and seven of us." James said logically.  
  
Harry swore violently.  
  
Harry stood there thinking about what they should do when the answer came crashing through the woods.  
  
"Hiya Harry, wotcha doin?" Ron's voice called out from behind a nearby bush.  
  
"RON!!!" Seven voices yelled at once.  
  
"Hey everyone! I finally got released, but when I got to the school none of you were there. Dumbledore seemed to know what was going on, and he sent me here. Looks like I got here just in time..." Ron said in the cheery way only he could.  
  
"Excellent, everyone to your positions." Harry said. He led Ron over to a boulder where a carving had been chiseled away.  
  
"On the count of three we say 'I solemnly swear I am up to no good!' Ok?" Harry called out.  
  
"Got it"  
  
"Yes sir"  
  
"Lets get this show on the road"  
  
"One!" Harry called  
  
"Two!"  
  
"Three!"  
  
"I solemnly swear I am up to no good!" eight voices called.  
  
A bright blue light erupted from the carvings and filled the small clearing. After the initial flash of light, it was gone. When it disappeared, and everyone's eyes were working properly, the stump which Harry was standing in front of a moment before was gone. Now a triangular stone held its place. Neatly sheathed in the stone were two magnificent swords, one blade glowing blue, and the other glowing gold.  
  
Harry stepped forward and reached out for the golden one when a voice behind him stopped him. 


	15. Chapter Fifteen

Chapter 15 - Battle  
  
Harry spun, his wand out stretched. He knew the voice, all too well. The voice that had plagued his dreams for years now. The voice that had caused so much pain. Only one person on this planet had the power to make his blood boil with just hearing his voice. Only one voice could instill the kind of terror that was coursing through Harry's veins.  
  
Voldemort.  
  
"Potter," Voldemort said dragging out his name. "Are you sure you want to do that? Are you really big headed enough to think that you can handle the swords?" he said in his snake like hiss.  
  
"Even if I can't, I will die trying!" Harry said more bravely than he felt.  
  
"Stupid child!" Peter squeaked.  
  
Harry's eyes snapped to the small balding man hiding the shadows behind his master. Unbeknownst to him, so did seven other pairs of eyes. Eight sets of eyes, pouring hatred into the man that had caused almost as much pain as Voldemort himself.  
  
"You! You actually have the audacity to come here?" Harry said through gritted teeth. Harry held up three fingers behind his back.  
  
"After all you did, you actually came here to help him?" Harry held up two fingers.  
  
"Yes Potter, and hopefully by the end of the night I will have helped kill all the Potters." Peter said in his mousy voice.  
  
Harry held up one finger.  
  
Peter took a step forward to say more, but never did.  
  
Harry made a fist behind his back.  
  
Seven stunners found there way into Peters chest, lifting him up off the ground and throwing him into a tree. He slumped to the ground unconscious, his head lolling from side to side.  
  
"What are you going to do now Tom? Your little friend is gone now." Harry said silkily.  
  
"Fool! You should have joined me when you had the chance." The Dark Lord hissed.  
  
Voldemort raised his wand faster than Harry could see it.  
  
"Avada Kedevera!" He screamed.  
  
Harry saw the spell coming, and did a back flip over the Pedestal. Crouching behind it, he hoped that it wouldn't harm the swords. When the green spell made contact with the stone, it rebounded and flew straight up and disappeared into the night sky.  
  
Harry stood quickly and drew the Golden sword from its stony sheath. It slipped out like a hot knife through butter.  
  
"No! That is mine Potter!" Voldemort said.  
  
Hermione came running up behind Harry and Drew the Blue sword. When she slid it from its base, and power surged through Harry. A power he had never felt before, it was so immense, that he knew that Voldemort didn't have a prayer.  
  
The two Sword Bearers walked around the stone to face the cowering dark lord.  
  
"You can't kill me!" Voldemort said, and apperated.  
  
Five seconds later, he reappeared standing in the same place that he was in before.  
  
"I don't think so." James said with a grin. "I put up anti-apperation wards around this clearing. It ends tonight Voldemort." James said confidently.  
  
"You stupid child. AVADA KEDEVERA!" He screamed again.  
  
The green light was rushing twords James, and he didn't even flinch.  
  
"ANTI KEDEVERA!" James yelled.  
  
A blue shield appeared in front of James. The green light smashed into it and dissipated. James was grinning the whole time.  
  
"It worked!" He yelled jumping up and down, his immaturity getting in the way for a second.  
  
"Crucio!" Voldemort said when James had his guard down.  
  
James screamed in pain as the curse coursed through his body.  
  
Voldemort turned to Harry and Hermione.  
  
"Now it's your turn. Avada kedevera!" He yelled.  
  
Harry and Hermione crossed their swords in front of them, making a big X. The spell hit the center the swords glowed green. Harry could feel it coursing through the swords. He held it in, letting it gather with the power of the swords.  
  
"Altogether now!" Harry yelled.  
  
Eight voices yelled at once.  
  
"Anti-Kedevera!"  
  
A turquoise light blasted out of the crossed swords, and six blue streaks flew at the Dark Lord. They all hit him at the same time and for a second it looked as if someone had turned on a blue light inside Voldemort. Then he blew up, in a great show of blue-green sparks.  
  
"We did it!" Harry said calmly all the fear and pain that he had been holding in seemed to have exploded with the evil tyrant.  
  
"Let the wards down James." Hermione said.  
  
He did so, and seconds later they heard a 'pop'. Harry assumed it was Dumbledore here to escort them back to the castle. But to his great surprise, it wasn't.  
  
"Hello Harry." Bellatrix Lestrange sneered right in Harry's face.  
  
Harry was so stunned that he didn't even notice her wand pointing between his ribs.  
  
"Avada kedevera" She whispered in his ear. 


	16. Chapter Sixteen

Chapter 16  
Tears First, Laughter later  
  
Harry's eyes widened as he registered what she said. He felt the curse penetrate his body, and he started to fall backwards. Even though he couldn't hear them, all his friends were screaming his name. The world went black for Harry after that.  
  
The Wizarding world would always remember Harry Potter's last words being "We did it!" The Wizarding world would always remember Harry Potter being the most selfless, and brave man that had ever passed through Hogwarts. The Wizarding World would always remember how brave he had been that night. But of course, the people that he had died saving would never know how he had died...or why.  
  
Bellatrix laughed as Harry's limp body fell down and crumpled on the ground. Her elation was short lived however. Once again, seven voices rose up and as one they attacked.  
  
"Stupify!" Seven stunners smashed into Bellatrix's chest, and sent her spinning into the air. She hung there for a moment, suspended seemingly by nothing.  
  
"Stupify!" James's small voice yelled into the darkness. His stunner smashed into her again, and sent her flying. She landed on a fallen tree. A large branch protruding from the top of her chest.... Blood slowly seeping through her robes.  
  
"That's for Harry! You bitch!" James called out.  
  
Hermione sunk to her knees next to Harry's body. Weeping continuously, but no tears fall from her eyes.  
  
"Harry! How could you go! Why?" Hermione screamed into Harry's lifeless chest.  
  
Another pop broke the thick darkness. Naturally after what had happened, seven wands pointed at the noise. Albus Dumbledore stepped out of the darkness, and held his hands up. His periwinkle blue eyes holding no twinkle, just a darkness that told them that he already knew what had happened.  
  
Hermione took one look at her Headmaster, and now she began to cry. She bends over Harry's face, just looking at him. Willing him to wake back up. Willing him to come back to her.  
  
The light in the clearing started to brighten, as if dawn was breaking. But dawn wasn't going to come for another few hours. The darkness started to pull away like a curtain sliding away before a much anticipated play.  
  
Light was pouring from Hermione like the sun rising over the ocean. Rays breaking the darkness like knives through hot butter. Warm white light took over the clearing, falling over all the nooks and crannies of the forest.  
  
The tears falling from her face refracted the light pouring off of her. The golden droplets of sadness spilled over her face, falling to the ground...and onto Harry's face. Shining droplets hit his cheeks and forehead. Seeping into his skin, making Harry shine too. The same light pouring from Hermione's body, started to pour from Harry.  
  
Harry's eye lids fluttered open. The first thing he saw was Hermione's shining face literally beaming down on him. He reached up and gingerly touched her cheek.  
  
Her eyes widened at the touch, and the tears falling from her face changed from ones of sadness to joy. Hermione clung to his chest sobbing into his shirt. After a few minutes, she lifted of off him.  
  
"Harry Potter, if you ever die again...I'll kill you." She then proceeded to slap him. Harry took it in stride, and then started to laugh.  
  
The End 


	17. Afterword

Epilogue  
  
The music started to play, and Harry began to sweat even more than he already was a minute previous. His eyes were fixed on the door to the Great Hall, never leaving the crack between them. Ron nudged him in the ribs, but when Harry turned to look at him Ron just grinned like a fool.  
  
Albus Dumbledore stood on Harry's other side, dressed all in periwinkle robes. His electric blue eyes twinkling on the other side of his half moon spectacles. Harry chanced a look at him, and his old headmaster just grinned too.  
  
He turned his head, and looked at the front row of seating. The whole Weasley family was taking up the first row, except for Ginny. When Harry looked at them, they all grinned too, like they knew some joke that he didn't. His fellow students took up the rest of the seating, all chatting with their neighbors. Chatting, and grinning at him.  
  
Finally, the huge double doors opened. A shower of lily petals came down, momentarily obstructing Harry's view.  
  
And then, there she was. Dressed in a flowing white gown, that seemed to ripple without any wind. A thin white vale covering her shining face. A blast of red hair was bobbing behind her, holding up the train of her long dress. As she walked down the isle Harry thought he would die and go to heaven right here and now.  
  
The walk down the isle seemed to take forever in Harry's eyes. But finally she made it up to the alter. She stood across from him, and smiled that smile that made Harry's knees buckle.  
  
After a ceremony that seemed to take forever, Dumbledore finally said.  
  
"Do you Harry take this woman to be your wife?"  
  
"I do." Harry said with more surety than he had ever said anything in his life.  
  
"and do you Hermione take this man to be your husband?" Dumbledore asked.  
  
"I do." Hermione said looking straight into Harry's eyes.  
  
"I know pronounce you Man, and Wife. You may kiss the bride."  
  
Harry kissed her, just like he was told to do. When they parted Hermione looked at him and said.  
  
"I've never been so happy!"  
  
Harry grinned and replied. "This is only the beginning." 


End file.
